


Crimson Smiles

by MissLunaTick



Series: Case files: Hellsing [1]
Category: Hellsing
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dracula Influence/References, Drama & Romance, F/M, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Past Lives, Post Hellsing: Impure souls canon, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-28
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-08-07 01:04:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 245,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16398482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLunaTick/pseuds/MissLunaTick
Summary: "I got nothing to say except that I think I love you." Alucard felt his eyes widen and had no idea how to address this extremely outlandish proclamation on her part. "Oh god, that made me sound crazy." Yes it did, he already had theories, but she was close to confirming them. "It's just that I am like the world's biggest Dracula fan girl." Confirmed, she was off her rocker. "This is just…awesome. Do you have any idea how funny that was. I love guys with a sense of humor. How did you guess I liked Dracula?" She was grinning like a maniac. Didn't people know what a monster he was?"You do know that Dracula was a brutal king." He found this to be an interesting conversation, amused at the sheer delight in her eyes. Maybe he was just amused because he was his own favorite topic?A girl ends up in a dangerous situation, and it keeps spiraling down from there.





	1. Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> This story is being cross posted from my account on Fanfiction.net, it started there, and I am just posting it here as well. 
> 
> Disclaimer (This is for the whole story.): I don't own Hellsing or any other copyrighted items that will appear in this story, also note, I might throw in a lot of brand names in but I am in no way shape or form promoting or advertising for these brand names. I do own all the original characters but I would consider loaning them out if asked. WARNING: This story will have sexual material and mention the subject of rape. but not often or in detail.
> 
> "Normal talk"
> 
> 'Thoughts'

The airport was relatively quite as the 10:30 am from New York arrived. It was a normal Wednesday morning in June and it looked like it was the start of a beautiful day. The passengers all slowly waking to the static buzz of the intercom as the pilot wished them a happy stay in London and told them when it was safe to disembark. They stood up and collected their bags from the overhead compartments and filed out of the doors into the terminal. Once the anxious rush of people had dwindled down the lone teenage girl was still sleeping in the window seat. The tired stewardess gently prodded the girl and helped her collect her bags before nudging her through the gate into the terminal. After standing there in a sleepy daze, the girl let out a yawn and pulled out her cell phone, dialing a number and waiting for the other party to answer

"Oh honey, I'm so happy you called us. How was your flight?" The sound of her mother's voice put a smile on her lips as she walked towards baggage claim with large bags already weighing her down. Her curly down hair was in a loose braid that ended at her lower back and her natural bangs had frizzed up along with other short strands to make her hair look messy. Her hazel eyes were half open as she fought against the lure of just laying down and taking a nap.

"Hi Mom, it was an okay flight, just long. I couldn't sleep at all so I was reading my book and doing other things. I think I got maybe a total of 70 minutes of sleep. But how are you and Dad?" She stepped off the escalator and continued to make her way towards her other possessions, her baggy T-shirt, fuzzy spongebob squarepants pj bottoms going well with the socks and fuzzy slippers she wore.

"Dad and I are fine, we love you sweetie. Take care of yourself in England okay, and if you need us we'll be on the next plane out okay. Call us once you get to your friends house. You're so lucky to have those nice boys there to show you around. Everyone loves you and is so proud of you going to college in London; you'll be a doctor in no time. Bye bye baby girl." The girl laughed and blew kisses into the phone as she set down her bags to grab the ones going by on the conveyor belt. Slowly her energy was picking up.

"Yes Mom, tell Dad and everyone that I love them okay. Bye Mom." She hung up the phone and piled up her stuff, double counting and rechecking the name tags on the purple suitcases. She then moved all of her bags towards the exit to where cars and buses picked up and dropped off people that, despite which way they were going, always seemed to be in a rush. Taking out her phone again, she dialed another number and breathed a sigh of relief when the phone was answered. "Hey Matt, it's Lina. I'm set to go dude. I just walked out of the baggage claim on the second level, so tell me where to meet you guys." There was a pause on the other side and then a small debate about directions. Lina rolled her eyes, sitting down on her baggage.

"Okay, we're just going to swing in and pick you up because we got no idea how you'd get to where we are. We're the blue van. See you in a few minutes." Lina clicked the phone closed and sighed, rolling her neck to try and ease the stiffness. Sitting there and watching as people embraced family members and waved cheerful goodbyes, some people exit taxis alone with dimmed hopes in their eyes or business people with the air of importance and the rush that would later become stress-related illnesses. She loathed having extra time; the silence was poisonous to her thoughts, making her think of things better left unthought-of. She distracted herself with the people watching, anything to make the time go by. 'Damn, I need to sleep. I always get like this when I'm tired.' As if that was the magic words a large blue van pulled up and the back doors swung open and three young men hopped out as they waved to her with wide smiles. Lina instantly felt a jolt of energy hit her and she jumped up and was pulled into a group hug. All three boys rubbed her head playfully, messing up her already unruly hair. The driver hopped out and came to join their little sidewalk fete. Lina was giggling and then hugged each of them in turn. "It's so nice to see you guys again. I can't believe it's been a year. How have you all been?" They all chorus a response of good and started to help her load the baggage into the van. Matt, the driver, had straight black hair with the tips dyed red that was just past his ears and his bangs cut back away from his eyes. His green eyes were framed by slim square cut glasses and his lips were curled up in a smile. He had strong facial features, a lean muscular body. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a plain black collared shirt, studded boots and had a single ruby stud through his left ear.

"We've been good, busy with our club and trying to get that other side business started up. When you get settled in at the house, we'll take you to the club and show you around, unless of course you're too tired tonight." The others all nodded as the bags had been loaded and all of them sat facing each other in the van as it drove towards the midday traffic. Seth was sitting closest to her. Seth had blonde, shoulder length straight hair that he bleached white. His right eyebrow was pierced along with his right ear, a tiny stud on the left side of his nose. He had a slim build and wore tight hip huggers and a fishnet shirt, his beat up vans slightly out of place with the image. His lips were slightly feminine and his eyes were outlined in black.

"And I'll introduce you to my new boyfriend, you'll love him. Cute guy from Ireland, has that accent, red hair and great tattoos." The twins sitting across from them groaned in annoyance, Lina snickering at their obvious disdain of the subject.

"I don't think she needs you to show her off to guys that don't like girls. Kinda defeating the purpose of going to a nightclub." Kyle said, his red wife beater tight on his well toned chest and the black baggy pants with chains and zippers held up by a belt with silver skull buckle. His brown hair was buzz cut and the tips frosted green and both boys had matching brown eyes and facial features. His brother Steve wore a blue wife beater, matching pants with a crossed guns belt buckle. Steve's hair was frosted blue, the colors in their hair matching with the laces that tied up their black, platform combat boots. Their boyish good looks were laced with sexy maleness.

"No need for her to get shown off, just let her come sit on my lap and she'll never want to leave it." Lina blushed as Steve spread his legs and motioned her over to sit on his thighs, a grin on his face. Kyle rolled his eyes and nudged his brothers legs closed with his own after playfully smacking his brother in the head.

"If it's all the same to you guys, I'll just stay and get settled in. You know, put my room together. I am going to have my own room aren't I?" The van was slowly making its way over the Thames Bridge, the sun burning off the fog and it looked like the beginnings of a bright, sunny day. 'What a disappointment.' She thought, pulling out her Brighton sunglasses.

"That's fine Lina. You'll be in the room next to Seth. Figured it was safest for you to sleep near Seth than near Mr. Sit in my lap over here." Steve rolled his eyes and flipped Matt off with a grin.

"Yeah well at least I don't bring the birds' home. I have compassion for my fellow roommates and go to the birds' nest."

"Alright, that's enough, we're here." Matt announced as he parallel parked in front of a three story townhouse with a wrought iron gate that had ivy growing over it to block the view from the street. Lina looked up at the house in awe, not expecting her friends to live in such a conventional looking place. They all got out of the van, Matt quickly opening up the gate and front door before going back to help bring her suitcases into the foyer. "This used to be my uncle's, but when I graduated from Oxford he gave it to me as a gift. It's been in the Vance family for generations. It's not as big as some of the others in this area, but it has a yard all the way around. If you want to start a garden Lina, that'll be fine with me. Just ask one of the gardeners to help you and you can store your yard supplies in the shed in the back of the property. A maid service comes on Thursday afternoons to clean but they'll be here for today to help you unpack and tidy up your room and their number is on the sheet next to the house phone if you need it. The rule of the kitchen is if you don't want to cook for everyone, don't get caught cooking or already have ordered take out." Lina nodded absorbing all the information and following behind Matt as he led the way to her room.

"Since you don't have a job yet you can take money out of the group jar that's in the library if you need to buy anything for your room. Don't worry about paying it back; it's kind of like a spare change jar. Just contribute if you can but it's not mandatory. No wild parties, no insects as pets, and do your own laundry. Your room is on the third floor on the backside, so your room can't be seen from the street, you have a large window, a closet and cable hook up. The house has wireless internet and only Seth and I are on the same floor as you. Steve and Kyle are down stairs and there are two other bedrooms on the second floor, and a private bathroom in your room. All the other rooms are on the first floor. Any questions?" Lina was just staring at him, her head swimming with the bombardment of information, clinging to the important one about a bath. They entered her new room and the guys politely piled her bags against the wall and stretched out their backs.

"Uuummmm…..do you have that on a print out or something cause I maybe got thirty percent and it mostly consists of that bathroom thing." Matt laughed and patted her on the shoulder on his way out with the others close behind.

"Don't worry, you're a smart girl so I'm not worried about you. It was mostly a reminder for these three wankers. See you later Lina." They all bid her welcome to the house and then left her to start unwinding. She called her mother again, updating her on situation and alleviating the fear of her only child being almost halfway around the world with four young men. As she was on the phone, Lina started to unpack her bags to get to a change of clothes and her bathing supplies. Once she had ended the call she looked around the room, amazed at how big it was.

'If this is a guest room I wonder what the master room is like.' The room was painted in lavender; it obviously having been designed for a female occupant. It made her feel as if she had stepped into one the pages from the romance novels she read. The four poster bed was across from the large balcony windows, the sheer linen drapes allowing massive amounts of sunshine into the room. 'Gonna need much thicker curtains.' She opened the doors, smiling at the small terrace and the view she had. 'I owe Matt so much for this, it's a new life. My first steps into the world away from the womb.'

A large dresser was against the wall and the matching mirror was mounted to it. On the opposite wall of that sat a desk and chair with two doors. The first door she discovered lead to the closet, but she paid it very little attention as she grabbed her toiletries and change of clothes to take a shower before the maids showed up to help her. Undoing her braid as she started the water for a shower. The curly locks bounced around her waist, her slippers and socks being the first articles to be tossed carelessly into the corner, followed quickly by her shirt and pants. Plain white undergarments covered her body as she searched for a towel. Her hips were femininely wide and were complimented by a pair of soft breasts. Not thin as a model, but enough so that she was healthy and proud in her appearance after struggling with her weight her whole life. Finally satisfied with the water temperature, Lina stepped into the shower and felt pure repose wash over her as the stiffness in her muscles melted away.

It had been hours since the maids had arrived and Lina was amazed at how quickly all her luggage had been emptied and properly put away even with all her knick-knacks, posters and paintings on display across the walls. The room felt as if she had been living there for months and now all she had to do was add the curtains, to make her feel truly at home. 'Guess this means Seth and I are going shopping tomorrow.' She thanked the maids for all their help as they left. She smiled at her room before locking the balcony widows and heading downstairs herself to hunt for dinner. On her way out of her room she bonked into Seth, seeing that he was all dressed up in his punkish glory.

"Where are you going all dressed up like that Seth?" He smiled and walked down stairs with her, leading her to the kitchen.

"I'm getting ready to head over to the club, actually I was about to ask if you wanted me to bring you along since the others already left. I don't really think you'll be comfortable here all by yourself, especially not after nightfall." Lina looked out the darkening windows, a small shiver a fear passing through her.

"I would love to come. My room is almost done and I'm not tired anymore. Besides, I'm interested in meeting your new boyfriend."

"Then hurry upstairs and get dressed cause I'm not letting you come with that house dress on." Lina grinned and dashed upstairs, leaving Seth to check his cell phone for messages. Back inside her room Lina went straight to the closet, looking through her outfits and tossing the worn dress in the general direction of the hamper.

'The first sign that I'm comfortable, my clothes spread out all over the room.' The little laugh that accompanied the mental joke was followed by the sound of hangers being slid along the rack.

"Here's that black dress." A yelp followed and she hopped out of the closet holding her foot in one hand and her dress in the other. "Damn hanger." Tossing her black dress onto the bed Lina undid her hair from the braid, leaving it in a loose ponytail. Humming tunelessly she quickly went through the process of making herself presentable to the rest of the human race. With a light layer of makeup, a small dab of perfume, Lina was ready to hunt down her shoes. Passing by the balcony windows, the hairs on the back of her neck rose and the tingle of goosebumps ran down her flesh. In trepidation Lina turned, meeting a set of glowing red eyes through the translucent curtains.

Chapter End


	2. Business As Usual

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second chapter readers. This chapter will bring everyone's favorite monster hunting organization, Hellsing into the story. I do have to explain the time line and situation or I would probably loose some of you. This is after the Incognito incident, meaning the first anime (aka signature series), and her majesty the Queen has forgiven Hellsing, Alucard broke free from the spells that tied him to the Hellsing family but out of honor, loyalty and boredom he and Seras remain Hellsing operatives. Seras lives in the Hellsing Manor, while Alucard lives on his own.
> 
> Side note, I don't live in England so no flaming me about locations ok.

The manila folder violently met with the massive oak desk, the various other items shaking with the impact. A gloved hand was clenched tightly on the butt end of a cigar as it was ground into the ashtray. The wall of windows behind the woman had the curtains drawn to block the feeble light from the crescent moon. Artificial light left few shadows in the room and reflected off circular glasses, blocking the view of ice blue eyes. The elderly man dressed in a butler uniform showed no reaction as the cigar tore in the unyielding grip. The helpless ashtray flying angrily into the nearest wall where it shattered into a myriad of pieces.

"12 girls Walter! 12 girls murdered! Their mangled, half eaten corpses left to rot in public! No arrests, no leads, and the best those bloody bastards at the coroner's office can tell us is that the attackers aren't human! After two bloody months Walter! It took the bastards two months and 11 more attacks before handing it over to us! I only thank God that they at least had the common sense to cover the events up!" The woman had worked herself up into a rage, her eyes hard and practically glowing with disdain. In her rant she had risen to her feet and had pounded both her hands against the desktop. Straining to take calm, even breaths, Sir Hellsing felt the sting in her temples, the precursor to all her major migraines. "I want you to personally do research for this Walter, I refuse to let another girl suffer the same fate." Walter gave her a grim smile, bowing politely before speaking.

"Of course Sir Integra, I think it would be best to start -" The ringing of the phone cut him off mid sentence, Walter reaching over and answered, listening to the voice on the other end. "This is the Hellsing Organization." There was a long pause, Walter's lips pursing as he listened. "Thank you for the information, Sir Hellsing will be there shortly." With that he hung up the phone. "It seems that there was another assault tonight just a little after 8:42 on the property of the Vance family, 328 Kensington Court."

"How many bodies?" Integra looked as if some of the color had just been drained from her face.

"Both people survived the ordeal and are being taken to the hospital as we speak. It seems that just you setting your resolve alone saved two lives tonight." Integra couldn't help the small sigh of relief the information brought.

"Sadly Walter, it had more to do with luck then with Hellsing. Send Seras and an investigative squad to the house and you and I will go to the hospital. I personally want to speak with the survivors."

"As you wish Sir Integra."

Once the black Buick pulled up to the entrance of St Mary's Hospital, Walter opened the door for Integra, following respectfully beside her as she strode into the lobby. Integra wore a green, pin-striped suit, the blue cravat fixed in place by her favorite silver cross. Her eyes scanned the room till they landed on the police lieutenant walking over to greet her. As she stood there a group of three tall young men rushed through the doors and continued up to the information desk. She wasn't close enough to over hear what they asked the receptionist but she wasn't particularly interested in their purpose, it was the outlandish way they were dressed that had her eyes glancing to them. 'Probably here to check in on a fellow raver.' She thought in dismissal, seeing the group leave the desk to board the elevators in a brisk walk.

"Good evening Sir Hellsing. I do hope that your organization will be able to put a stop to these attacks. It's hard to keep this many incidents all hushed up you know." Integra bit back the urge to tell the man exactly what she thought about his judgment of withholding the case till just a few hours ago.

"What condition are the victims in?" His eyebrow twitched as the cold and curt tone of her voice told him just how interested she was in his personal work effort in the case.

"Ah yes, perhaps this would best be discussed out of the public ear." She gave him a terse nod, following behind as he led the way towards the victims. After they had entered the elevator and he had pushed for the sixth floor he started to speak. "There are two victims, one male and one female. The male suffered severe wounds to the torso, and arms. He was unconscious when officers arrived on scene; currently he is in stable condition. His name is Seth Cargie, age 26, a citizen of the UK, he is a house mate with a member of the Vance family. The girls' name is Christina Khayam, age 19. She is a citizen of the United States staying at the same residence. The girl suffered only a few minor scrapes and cuts, but was so hysterical that the doctors had to give her a sedative to calm her down. Last I checked neither of them were awake." He offered her the files with their medical and personal information, biting back the hiss of pain as she pulled it from his grip. 'That'll be a nasty paper cut.' He thought as Integra thumbed through the papers quickly.

"Do we have any clues as to who or what the assailant or assailants are?" Integra said as Walter took the files from her.

"The officers arrived too late to see what attacked them, but the girl kept mumbling something over and over. She was too frantic to be understood of course, although the paramedics jotted down what they could comprehend, you'll find it all in the report." The elevator doors slid open with a smooth whish and the director put his hand to hold it open. "They will be in the last room on the left side. I'm hoping that this whole affair will be resolved soon Sir Hellsing." Integra felt her eyebrow twitch in agitation.

"My organization will do it's best to finish this as quickly as possible with as much information as we have provided for us." With the backhanded reassurance she headed towards the room, not so much as caring for a backward glance. "Can you believe that pompous man Walter. The whole reason we haven't caught the culprits is because I was left unaware that there was a situation. Damn bureaucrat."

"Sir Integra, I agree that the police have done almost everything to insure that we look incompetent, but you are more than up to the challenge of proving them wrong. After all, your father raised you." Walter said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. Even before her father had died she always had considered Walter as family. He had always been there supporting her and teaching her.

"Thank you Walter." Integra said as nurse stepped out of the room looking frazzled.

"I'm sorry Ms, but this room is private. Immediate family members or requested persons only." Integra paid the nurse no attention, walking into the room while Walter handled the nurse. She was more then surprised to see that the three young men from the lobby were sitting in chairs with anxious looks on their faces. The man with black and red hair stood up, his green eyes unflinchingly meeting her ice blue ones.

"You must be with the police." He said, extending his hand to shake hers. "Mathew Daniel Vance."

"Director Integral Fairbrook Wingates. And not quite, we are part of a special organization that is dealing with this case." She replied, shaking his hand before he stepped aside to let her into the room. "Your friends are extremely fortunate. The other victims of these types of attacks are all deceased." What little color was left in the three men's faces drained completely. The beeping of a heart monitor drew Integra's attention to the man in the bed.

"So do you know if it's safe for us to go home? Should we all be worried?" It was the man with blue hair that spoke up. His hands were clasped on his lap as he and his twin looked at her.

"Since there haven't been survivors before we don't know if it was a random event or a planned strike, but in case it is we will have our agents watching for further assaults. When we have more information that concerns your direct safety we will let you know. For the meanwhile I advise you to stay here. An investigative squad is at your residence and after they are done a clean up crew will see to it that your home is somewhat back to normal." Integra said as she walked further into the room, coming to stand at the bedside of the girl. "Now I have a few inquiries that I need you to answer."

\--------------------------------

Carfax was always dark, the street lights unable to battle the unease the shadows cast. The garden walls were built high to block the view of the world into the occupant's domain. Feeble light from the moon seemed to be absorbed into the darkness that roamed the hallways of the house. A deep rubble pulsated through the seemingly stagnant air turning into a dark laugh; it seemed that the very house was vibrating in dark mirth. Integra tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the tall man sitting in the tall wing-back chair to stop. Thin, long fingers held the folders that contained the case work and reports from the victims in the hospital. Glowing red eyes met mortal blues as the cheshire cat smile revealed a mouth full of sharp teeth.

"My dearest Integra, you didn't need my help or that investigative unit. The girl already gave you the answer as to what attacked her." Alucard stood, allowing the candles to light the room while in human company. Walter remained by Integra's side, his eyes following each of the vampire's moves closely with his wires at the ready. Integra felt the migraine that had started earlier as it finally chose to make itself known. It made her irritable but she tried to keep her temper under control, not wanting to aggravate it.

"Alucard, I don't have the time nor the patience to play games. I need to know what I'm up against. You may not think much of these deaths, but as a long time servant of my family, hopefully some sense of preserving life would have rubbed off on you." He swirled his wine glass, waiting for her to state her point as if it were a debate on the color of drapes.

"You wound me Integra." He took a small sip, letting the flavor caress his tongue before flowing down his throat. "You're facing a pack of werewolves. Numbering at least 8 from the DNA profiles taken from the crime scenes. But you won't have to worry about there being more victims. The alpha is after the girl in the hospital." He had casually strolled to her, handing back the files in almost boredom.

"And what makes you say that Miss Khayam is a target." Integra straightened slightly at his close proximity; even though he was much taller she refused to look small. His dark chuckle accompanied her movement.

"Not a target, the target. All the previous victims looked like her and flew into England from the United States. They are hunting for her, when the werewolves caught the wrong girl they simply got rid of the mistake. She, on the other hand, was allowed to live, so the alpha must have plans for her." The wine glass continued to be twirled in his grasp, the dark liquid eddying. "Now that I have informed you as to exactly what you're dealing with my ex-master. I wish to know what you plan to do; after all, werewolves are extremely stubborn creatures."

"Seras will watch during the night and a small unit for during the day. Then we will try to track them back to the alpha wolf." She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes that she wasn't going to ask anything of him, dismissing it as a trick of the mind. "Thank you for your insight Alucard. I will see to it that your blood supplies are fresher next week as payment." As she and Walter made to leave Alucard's voice stopped them.

"Do you honestly expect these measures to protect those mortals from a pack of Lycans?"

"I can no longer order you Alucard. If you wish to leave your home that is your choice. Goodnight."

Chapter End.


	3. Work Ethic

The world was dark. Everything was peaceful to the mortal eye but Seras was not fooled. It had been three days since Sir Hellsing had reassigned her to watching the Vance residence. The three men had left half an hour ago to visit the victims in the hospital before heading off to work. _'This is so dull. I doubt those werewolves would attack the house while no one is there.'_ Seras sighed in boredom. _'Get used to being bored Police Girl, it's the price of being a creature of the night.'_ The deep male voice in her mind jerked her to her feet. Looking around Seras couldn't spot her former master. "Master Alucard, where are you?" The clicking of a gun rang in her ears, turning slowly to see the barrel of Casull pointed at her head.

"You are still much too weak Police Girl. Be thankful that it was only me and not your enemies." He said, elegantly twirling the handgun and it disappearing into his trademarked red trench coat. _'I have a feeling my enemies would be nowhere near as dangerous as you.'_ An aloof smile graced his lips as the he read her mind. "Thank you, but flattering me won't help your ranking in my book." Seras rolled her eyes, turning back to watch the darkened building.

"I didn't think you would be interested in working this case Sir." She adjusted the cannon on her shoulder, the leather strap starting to make her skin itch.

"I'm not, but in the past 100 years I have grown accustomed to doing things that my current lifestyle of solitude lacks. Going on missions is still more invigorating then remembering my glory days." Seras couldn't help the giggle that statement brought from her. His eyes darted to her, the glasses blocking the glow his eyes gave off. "What is so amusing Police Girl?"

"Nothing Sir." The two stood unmoving on the roof top, two sets of eyes watching the neighboring buildings and shadows for the targets. Alucard mentally groaned when he felt the prodding from Seras's mind, taking down only a few of his barriers so as to allow her to speak with him. _'Master, why isn't anyone watching the hospital? Their prey is that girl, so what purpose does us watching the house serve? She's the one in danger, not her baggage.'_

'You are watching the house because Sir Integra doesn't know why the filthy Lycans are after this human. Maybe it is her person or maybe something she possesses. Either way you are here to make sure of it one way or the other.'

_'If that's why I'm here, what are you here to do Sir?'_ Alucard gave a mental shrug, turning his head to the moon and letting the humble beams of light sooth his raging hunger. The small sounds of the natural world trying desperately to find a set of ears to listen to its symphony. He was listening to it, drowning out the sound of the human city to enjoy the unplanned beat of the night.

"I'm here to make sure you don't fuck up Seras." The audible sound of his voice and the seriousness behind it, as if he was stating a fact, made her huff in indignation. Opening her mouth to retort she was stilled by an almost silent padding of footsteps. Alucard was already honing in on the sound, his eyes focusing on the source. Without a single word or thought both vampires leapt from the building to land in the path of the scrawny man. The unknown man seemed ready to flee for his life when Alucard yanked him off his feet. Alucard bore holes into the man with his eyes before tossing the human carelessly into the brick wall a good ten feet away. "Just a common thief, leave him." Was his only explanation before walking away from the crumpled form in the alley. Seras bit her lip, already hearing the man's heart rate dropping dangerously low. Reluctantly she followed him into the shadows, the man's quickly approaching death already on her conscience.

"Sir….I can't just let that man die." When she looked up to see his reaction Seras found that she was alone. Turning on her heels Seras radio-ed for an ambulance to pick up the dying man.

\-----------

Lina sighed, tossing over in her bed in sheer boredom. Her eyes fell onto to Seth, still asleep from the painkillers for his wounds. She held back the wave of guilt and grief at seeing him like this, knowing that it would do no good now.

"The first day out of the womb and I end up getting us mauled by a monster that isn't supposed to exist. Just my luck isn't it." A sad smile crossed her lips.

"Had you still been in the womb, your mother would be here too." Lina jerked and looked over to see Matt, Steve, and Kyle walking into her room, sitting up in the bed and grinning happily to see them.

"Guys, nice to see ya." Lina glanced over at the clock before looking back at them. "It's been three hours since your last visit. What took you so long?" They smiled at her, Steve putting a small bouquet of Peruvian lilies in the bowl of water. Lina's eyes widened and she hugged them.

"We wanted to bring you two something as a get well present. Kyle and Matt suggested sunflowers but I thought these were better." Steve said smugly, hugging her just a little longer than was necessary. The other two rolled their eyes at Steve, Kyle pulling him back.

"Well they both mean friendship so you guys couldn't go wrong. By the way, do you know when I'm getting outta here? This place is driving me nuts." Matt rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he moved over to check on Seth.

"No, they haven't told us yet. How are you going to be a doctor if you can't stand being in hospitals?" She stuck her tongue out at him, sitting cross legged on the hospital bed and her head resting on her left hand. She was careful to avoid using the right one where the useless (in her opinion) IV was inserted.

"I don't mind hospitals as long as I'm not the one in the damn bed." They all chuckled at that, the three moving towards the door.

"Sorry we can't stay Lina, but we need to work. Call us if Seth wakes up and we'll swing by tomorrow morning since they won't let us in after hours." Kyle said, pushing his brother out the door and standing aside as Matt exited. She waved them off with a grumble.

"Fine, but I can't promise that I won't die of boredom."

"Then we'll be at the wake." She tossed her extra pillow at them and blew a raspberry, falling back into her mini-depression after they left. There was little that would give her a distraction from the thoughts of guilt and she found it harder with each passing minute to blink back the tears.

"Why can't they have brought me a gameboy or at least a good book to read." She said in despair, wishing for anything to entertain her. Her eyes roamed over the plain, sterile off-white room, recounting the number of metal blinds in the window. She fell back on the mattress, sighing as she meet the boring ceiling and holding back the whimper working its way to her throat. "Heck I'll even read a bad book at this rate." She closed her eyes, trying to recall paragraphs of her favorite books, rereading them in her mind. She was dimly aware of the light droning of footsteps that walked up and down the halls. A set of footsteps heading her way made her focus in on their rhythm and she sat up, cold shivers going down her spine. When the steps came to a pause at her door Lina was already sitting up and calling out before the soft knock ever came. "Who's there?"

She had decided that since she had called the ambulance for the victim of Alucard's pent up boredom that she should check in on her actual assignment. Seras was surprised as someone called out before she even raised her hand to knock. Opening the door she stepped in, seeing that Miss Khayam was sitting up and bed looking at her warily. Seras put on her best smile, being mindful of her fangs.

"Hello there Miss Khayam, how are you this evening?" Seras felt the girls' eyes examining her, knowing how strange she must look in her mini-skirt uniform. "I'm Seras Victoria, one of the people assigned to protect you. I thought it might be better for us to meet so you wouldn't confuse me for one of your attackers." There was a small giggle from the teenager, a shake of her head and a silly grin on her face.

"Well, first things first Seras, call me Lina. Second I'm bored out of my mind sitting here with nothing to do. And I doubt I could confuse you with a werewolf." Seras felt her smile brighten, liking the overdramatic tone Lina used. "So Seras, since you'll be my stalker for a while we should get to know each other. Well, I'm going to be a freshman in college; I'm here to get my majors in biology before applying to medical school. I'm going to minor in psychology and maybe history or something. I'm definitely not brainless enough to think I stand a chance at getting a minor in English here in England, cause we may understand each other, but we speak two totally different languages." Seras watched her left hand as it twisted and was flung about, gestures accenting her words. "And you?"

"I graduated from the police academy about three years ago. Was transferred to this organization and sadly I don't have any more interesting details of my life." Seras tried to hide her sigh of hopelessness, knowing that it was true. Her life had only three or four events worth mentioning, and she'd mentioned the only pleasant one. Lina stared at her, Seras feeling the girl's eyes re-examining her and the urge to leave and resume her patrol pushing her off the chair.

"It was nice to meet you Lina. I better get back to work." Lina gave her a puzzled look.

"You're job currently is watching me, what the hell you gonna do? Leave the room and go sit outside my window?" She snickered at Seras who grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well….I have to go make sure that there are no threats in the perimeter…" Lina just kept staring at Seras waiting for the rest of that explanation. "…And I need to check in with my superior officers…file a report…and…I'll be going now." Seras ducked out of the room feeling uncomfortable. "Americans are so strange." She said as she went down the hallway and ducked into the stairwell and made her way to the rooftop to scan the area. The world was still dark and peaceful to those going about their mortal lives.

\--------------------

Alucard had not gone to the hospital with Seras, hoping that the little thief had indeed expired. He had noticed as of late that more of his human sensibilities where slowly but surely creeping back into existence. He did not bother to fathom why, simply enjoying the returning reason for his insanity and the liberation of his natural nobility. But as of this moment it was highly inconvenient, leaving him debating the breaking his own code of sociably behavior and the necessity of personally searching the girl's room. He stood on the balcony looking into the room, the glass windows having been taken away and a temporary plastic film keeping the world out. He made to reach out and simply pass through the feeble barrier when he felt a small tug at the corner of his mind that told him to wait. In the loneliness he allowed his face to show the confusion, he hadn't felt that type of energy in countless years. With a growl he turned on the heel of his boots and left her room undisturbed for now, retreating to his realm of darkness where that energy had not reached for him since death and where he hoped it would not follow now.

Chapter end.


	4. Issues Much

One week later, 9:17 a.m.…..

She could see every movement it made, the hair on its' body shifting with intent. Lina sat still, almost paralyzed with fear as the beady eyes bored into hers. Her body tensing and scooting farther back on the hospital bed as the beast stalked closer. Frantically she looked over at Seth from the corner of her eyes, not daring to loose complete contact with her foe. Its' fangs glistened in the fluorescent light, and it hit her as it crept closer and closer. She would have to save herself. _'I can't do this….it's too much…someone please…Save me!'_ Clamping her eyelids shut, her voice shattered the calm of the hospital, and her body jerked out of the bed, ripping the IV out and flattening her body against the opposite wall.

Sir Integra and Walter had come to check on Mr. Cargie and Miss Khayam, coming down the hallway when an ear piercing scream rent the respectful silence. The two quickly covered the short space and burst through the room, Walter in front with his wires. When he saw no obvious threat he looked over to where Lina was pushed against the wall shivering in fright and her eyes darting between him, Integra, and Seth. Seth had jerked up when Lina had screamed, his heart rate elevated to dangerous levels for his condition and looking around frantically as he panted for breath.

"What is it?! Is that Thing back!?" One of the nurses pushed her way through and went about stabilizing Seth's heart rate and watching for arrhythmia or cardiac arrest. Alarms and doctors paging where sounding out over the P.D.A. system for what sounded like every floor in the hospital. Integra cursed under her breath and glared at Lina.

"Walter, watch her till I get back. I need to see about getting her discharged from the hospital…" Ice blue eyes looked out into the hallway where the sound of heart monitors and groans sounded out from the other patients, "…immediately." Walter nodded, bowing as Integra left, the nurse leaving the room to help the other nurses. Seth had lain back down, waiting for Lina to explain what her episode had been about. She was still pressed to the wall, her breathing slowly coming back down as the dazed look in her eyes faded. Lina noticed both Walter and Seth staring at her, waiting and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I'm…sorry. I'm too weak… I'm so sorry Seth." While she spoke, she slid down the wall, sitting there with her eyes closed. Lina's hands clenched her ankles. Seth huffed as he rolled onto his other side, in exhaustion from the painkillers and his own desire to forget why he was there to being with. Walter carefully strode over before crouching next to her. Tapping her shoulder and giving her a warm smile when she looked up at him with glossy eyes.

"Would you care to take break on the roof Miss Khayam, perhaps the fresh air will help." His voice was kind but left no room for argument and she nodded, standing up and grabbing her coat as she followed Walter to the stairwell and up to the gravely roof top. The two stood there silently, Walter watching her carefully as gusts of a soon to be summer storm blew across the roof. She moved to the edge, looking over and staring at the ground below. "You must be happy about being discharged today." He asked, trying to provoke a conversation from her.

"Yeah…I guess so…I just feel so guilty about leaving Seth here. I should be the one that is stuck here for another two weeks…not him." She sighed, turning to look at Walter. "I don't know why I freaked out like that…I know that I was safe in the room. Must be some form of ptsd.". Walter gave her a smile putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Miss, being out in the real world will help you get back on your feet." Lina looked up and him and quirked an eyebrow, smirking in a way that made Walter feel that he had seen that look before, only in a very different context. He brushed it off as a trick of the mind. "Have you spoken with your family since you were admitted?" She rolled her eyes and he felt the waves of her exasperation.

"They refused to let me sleep for the first two days, and I had to threaten my parents to keep them from hopping on a plane to see me. I know I'm all they got, being the only child and the only one on this branch of the family tree that is old enough to be in college. But still…."

"Why didn't you want your family to come see you? Didn't you want their support?" Walter was puzzled; most victims of any attack were practically begging to be sent home. Lina shook her head, rubbing her arms as a gust brought a strange chill over the roof.

"Of course I wanted to see my family, I love all of them. I just have this bad feeling. I want them to stay as far from me as possible." She looked away from Walter and over to where the door opened, Integra coming into sight. "Your boss is here." Walter stood back up and gave Integra a small bow.

"Is everything in order Miss Wingates?" Integra nodded, glaring at Lina who was standing up and walking over to them.

"Indeed Walter, Miss Khayam is officially discharged and free to go where she wants." The unsaid part of the sentence being that she would be followed at all times. Lina sighing as she got the point of it. "Go collect your belongings and meet Walter in the lobby. He will drive you to where you need to go." Integra said it so curtly that Lina had to stop herself from wincing.

"Okay….I'll be waiting downstairs I guess." With that she dashed off the roof, leaving Integra and Walter alone.

"How will you be getting back to headquarters Sir Integra?" She smiled at Walter and lit her cigar, sighing as she got her nicotine fix.

"I will be going with a second vehicle to Carfax, Alucard has to answer for the man he put in the critical care ward last week." Walter gave her a small grin, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"Have fun with that Sir Integra."

\---------------------

"Your boss hates me." The comment made Walter look into the rear view mirror, being careful to keep the road and other cars in mind as they went down London streets.

"Miss Wingates doesn't hate you. Whatever gave you that idea?" Lina rolled her eyes from the back seat, her bag in the seat next to her.

"I just got that vibe from her…the way she looked at me was like…like…like I was a pimple on her wedding day or something." Walter couldn't stop his chuckle, smiling at her through the rear view mirror.

"It's not you; it's the stress of having to do her job." Leaning forward she looked down as the belt jammed, sitting back and trying to loosen the belt only to have it tighten with her struggle.

"Great, no matter what country I am in someone has to make me their punching bag." She took off the belt and let it reset as Walter took a left, slowly making their way to the nightclub her friends owned.

"What do you mean by that Miss Khayam? If you don't mind the inquiry."

"Back home, if the family member I was with had a bad day they would take it out on me. Yelling, screaming, threats to disown me, or my personal favorite, just bitching nonstop for three days straight." Walter was amused by the sarcastic way she stated her claims.

"Surely you are exaggerating." She looked out the window, putting on her sunglasses and crossed her arms. He pulled over in front of a plain looking building, the windows were blacked out, and the neon signs were turned off. Lina looked at it and texted Matt to let him know she was here.

"No I'm not Walter. They aren't horrible, but they aren't perfect. Love in my family comes with strings attached, except from mom and dad." With that she undid her seat belt, scooped up her bag and got out of the car. "Thanks for the ride Walter, I know you guys will be watching, have a nice day." With that obviously faked cheer she waved and went through the door.

\-----------------

11:15 a.m….

Integra wished that looks could kill; it would make her life so much easier when it came to dealing with Alucard, may not be so good an idea for her human work staff through. She didn't touch the tea tray as he sat across the table from her, the crows in his semi-dead foliage cawing every so often. He wasn't wearing his hat or coat, just the black suit that was underneath; his hair brushed back and shoulder length. She had half hoped that the sun would make his skin melt, but she knew that he was immune to that rule of vampirism.

"Integra, please do excuse the state of the yard, I simply haven't had the time to hire a groundskeeper, nor a contractor to help me fully restore the building to truly livable standards. Oh, and do help yourself to the tea, wouldn't want you to feel unwelcome in my home." She eyed him suspiciously as he poured the tea into her cup. She sipped it hesitantly, when it hit her tongue she nearly choked, the flavor foreign to her and much stronger then she was used to.

"I hope you don't mind that the tea is from the Middle East. I'll make a note to keep some of your favorite in the pantry if you plan on visiting often. But a hint on proper manners, call ahead of your arrival so your host has time to prepare properly." Oh how she wanted to leap across the table and strangle him. There they sat, out in the garden with two cups of tea and a tray as polite society demanded filled with milk, honey, sugar and everything else that was associated with tea time, and she was the only one partaking.

"Look Alucard, I didn't come to make pretend like we are friendly acquaintances, I came here to discuss the incident last week. It was unprovoked and comes very close to breaking the terms of the contract you signed." He arched an eyebrow and leaned in, a small amount of danger in his voice.

"I understand the terms of my contract Integra, but you and I both know the man is a confirmed thief. Should I remind you that in section 4, paragraph 3, it clearly states that any person that is a confirmed threat to society and ruled to be legally sane is a valid source of prey." His eyes started to glow red.

"What if he had been innocent?" He paused for a moment, and then closed his eyes while leaning back comfortably in his chair. When he opened his eyes again they were back to just a hint of red swirled in with his dark brown color, a sinister smile spreading slowly across his lips.

"We are all guilty of something my dear." She had to suppress the shivers that look managed to stir up. Standing up from the table she took a deep breath before she trusted her voice to not show emotion.

"I think I should be going now. It's getting late and I have work to do. Thank you for the tea." He nodded, standing up and the guards moved closer, unsure of his intent.

"You're welcome Sir Hellsing; please allow me to show you out." Integra didn't know what infuriated her more, that he was being a perfect gentleman or that she had personally seen him shred a person to pieces while using that same tone of voice.

\--------------------

Lina hugged Matt when he opened the door to his office. He looked down at her and noticed the black jeans and purple wrap shirt, two black necklace strings leading to the pendants that were down the v-neck of her shirt. She wore a pair of black flats that reminded him of dance shoes.

"Um...Lina, why are you hugging me?" She stopped hugging him and stuck her tongue out, pushing past him and laying out on the couch against the wall.

"Because you are my friend and I missed you." He rolled his eyes and went back to the desk, his laptop open and a file on his desk. He looked semi-professional dressed in black slacks and a burgundy shirt. "What'ca doing?"

"I'm trying to do payroll. Then I have to pay the bills, and order what we are out of or running low on." Sitting up, Lina had pulled out a hairbrush and started to undo her braid. Brushing her hair free of knots, she twisted and clipped it up, the ends curled over the clip.

"Sounds like a blast, do you want my help?" He gave a laugh and then just went back to work.

"No, I don't have time to show you how I want it, maybe next week." She closed her eyes and wriggled on the couch, looking around the office. There were a few boards with memo's and business notes pinned up and then posters of their favorite bands. There were four desks around the large office, all with name tags to tell the boys apart. Kyle walked in, a clipboard in hand, looking similar to Matt except that he wore a black shirt.

"Hey Lina, nice to see you out of the hospital, and you may want to get off that couch. Steve had a girl up here last night. Matt I have the inventory list for you. And Steve is on the way so we can discuss upcoming events and promotions" Lina jumped off the couch to the other side of the room, her whole body twitching as she seemed to sense the filth on her.

"Ewww…I think I need to take a shower…ewww….I can just feel the grossness on me."

"Thanks Kyle. Oh, why don't you give Lina a tour of the place and introduce her to the staff, make sure they know who she is." She was still twitching, starting to try and wipe the imagined grime off. The two guys gave a half chuckle at the image and Kyle nodding.

"Sure thing Matt." He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her twitching. "Don't worry; we already burned the blanket that was on the couch this morning. Now let me show you around so you get familiar with the joint before the Saturday night crowd comes in."

Chapter End.


	5. Why did you notice that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used an online translator for the Romanian so be forgiving here.

June 28….15 days after release from the hospital….2 hours after sunset.

Alucard sat quietly on the roof top of a house, the older couple inhabiting it having already gone to bed. His senses were trained on the activity in the house across the street, being wary of alerting his subject to his presence. He wore his customary suit and his sunglasses, having forgone his coat and hat. Normally he wore the obnoxiously scarlet garments in hopes of attracting an adversary to fight with, but he wanted stealth tonight. He had even gone to the extent of holding in some of his aura, not wanting to bring further danger to the weak, disgusting, mortal he had taken to stalking as of late, for 18 days to be exact. In his focused state he became aware of Seras fast approaching him, not bothering to take his senses away from his task as she came up on him.

"Police girl…you are two hours late for your watch. How do you think Integra would respond if anything happened to Miss Khayam because of your inability?" Seras was at a loss for words by his harsh tone and having no adequate reason for her tardiness. He let out a derisive sound that showed his disgruntled and exasperated feelings about her. "You are a laughable excuse for a vampire, now get to work." He growled the last part and she shivered and silently nodded, leaping from the building and into the yard of the Vance home. Seras was not quite sure why she felt so uncomfortable with him being here for an unknown amount of time. She walked up to the door, knocked and waited till the door opened. Alucard turned and left before he could see the young girl, feeling the desire to go kill something boiling his blood.

Seras smiled as Lina opened the door for her, seeing her dressed in black jeans and an Indiana Jones t-shirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and Seras could smell something cooking and it made her wish she was still able to eat normal food.

"Hey Seras, was wondering how long you would just sit across the street and watch before you came over. And please take your shoes off, Matt had the maids come over and clean today since the windows in my bedroom got replaced today." Seras tilted her head in confusion but realized quickly that Lina must have thought Alucard had been her. That fact alone made her suddenly uneasy, and she was going to be here early from now on. Seras slid out of her army boots and followed Lina into the kitchen, seeing a few pots on the stove. Seras took a breath and was unable to name what was being cooked, but it smells delicious. "Seth is coming home today so I figured I cook dinner. I think I made enough extra if you want some." Seras giggled at that, pointing the four large pots, seeing that there were a few things in the oven as well.

"It looks like enough to feed a whole troop." Lina shrugged, moving over and checking the oven.

"I'm cooking for four men." They both looked at each other and burst into giggles, Seras moved closer to see the unfamiliar stews in the pots. There was a green stew with red beans and lamb, another which was orange with split chickpeas, eggplant, chicken and then two pots of rice,one white rice and the final one smelled like rice and tomato paste with chicken and green beans.

"What are you cooking anyway?" Lina sat on the island counter, picking up her diet pepsi and taking a sip.

"Persian food, I have two stews, gormah zabze is the green one, and the orange on is ghamen. Then I have ground beef kabob, boneless chicken kabob and I'm cooking some tomatoes with those. I miss home cooked meals, have been eating nothing but the take out in the fridge and mac and cheese." Seras nodded, walking over to the window and resuming her awareness of the surroundings. They passed an hour with light conversation, mostly Seras asking the questions and Lina answering before firing one back. Soon the van pulled up and parked in front of the house, Lina asking Seras to help her by setting up the plates in the dining room and transferring the food to the serving dishes. Lina went out to greet the guys, hugging Seth and kissing his cheek apologetically and being forgiven by his own bear hug.

"Oh god, I'm so glad you finally got out! I missed you so much!" He laughed a bit, draping an arm around her shoulder and letting and her walk him inside the house. All the guys rolled their eyes as she told them to remove their shoes and grumbled but did as she asked.

After dinner Lina and Seras put away the leftovers and washed the dishes, the guys going to the club to work and Seth going up to bed. Lina had been growing tired all night at an unusual rate for her. Normally Lina stayed up till three in the morning and slept in till eleven a.m., but as it was right now she was about to pass out at nine thirty. Seras noticed her exhaustion.

"Lina, you should go to bed, you look like you're about to fall over. I'll finish up and the dishes come up." Lina didn't need to be told twice.

"Alright, thanks Seras, and feel free to take some of the food for yourself. I noticed you didn't eat or drink anything." Seras politely said thank you and waited till Lina had left before she washed the dishes with her inhuman speed. She then took the extra time she slipped into the hall and did a quick run around the neighborhood, relieved that the area was still secure when she returned to the home and slipped back into the house. She slowly went up the stairs to Lina's room and peeked in, finding the girl passed out under the covers of her bed. Seras nodded, going about the house and locking the doors and windows before slipping out to sit on the roof of the house next door and waited quietly till morning when her shift was over and the troops for the day watch radioed her and she returned back to the Hellsing Manor. Once there she went directly to Walter who was busy getting Sir Hellsing's morning coffee and breakfast omelet ordered down to the kitchen so it would be ready for her at eight.

"What can I do for you Miss Victoria?" Seras bit her lip, not entirely sure if she should mention her concerns to Walter.

"Walter, I was wondering…How much can you tell me about Alucard?" Walter gave her a taken aback look, not certain what kind of information she wanted.

"That all depends on what you want to know about him. I don't even know that much about him myself, only a snapshot of his unholy life and the most basic of history that he is willing to talk about or I managed to find about him." She took a deep breath and looked around for eavesdroppers. Finding none she leaned in closer to Walter and looked him in the eyes.

"You can't tell if I ask you, I don't want to cause issues for any of us. If I can't get the truth then I'll tell Sir Integra." Walter showed doubt in his eyes. "Please Walter; I need you to have faith in me." He stared her down, and when she didn't flinch he sighed.

"I'll trust you Seras, but then that means that you have to report the information you gather to me and if I feel it is too important to wait for confirmation I will go Integra." She nodded in agreement.

"I need you to tell me about his hunting methods." There was a pregnant pause in which the air turned almost stale in the silence.

\------------

A few hours after Seras had left Lina woke up, feeling a bit better, but her energy was still low. She looked at the clock and sighed as she realized that she couldn't call home to California for another few hours. She got up and stretched out, looking down at her grey pj's with purple lace trim and then bending down to touch her toes. She started her day with light stretches, looking out of her window to see the sunny morning. Needing a healthy does of vitamin D to regain her energy she quickly went about getting ready to go out. She put on a skin tight white sun blocker, then a thin white shirt with black tights and black shorts. Slipping on arch supporting socks she entered her bathroom and brushed her teeth, washed her face, put on deodorant and brushed her hair into a ponytail and tied it up. Satisfied with her appearance Lina then went to her closet, edging in sideways so she could keep an eye on the window. She found her running shoes and left her room, carrying the blue trimmed road runners and picking up her yoga matt as she locked her window and left the room. Down on the first floor she put her shoes by the door and went into the kitchen, smiling with pride at all her healthy foods, and was definitely not thinking about her stash of chocolate, ice cream, cake frosting and the other members of the expandae thighus phylum. She'd save those for after her workout….as a small reward per say. She poured a glass of orange juice, peeled a banana and snuck in a few strawberries before making arrangements for her actual departure. She arrived at her room again, being silent as possible since she knew the guys were sleeping off their late work hours. Generously she applied her protective sunscreen before grabbing her ipod and cell phone, along with a thin My Chemical Romance jacket for its convenient pockets before yet again trekking down the stairs, putting on her shoes, realizing she didn't have her keys; searching frantically for keys, locating keys in the key bowl and stepping out into the world in addition to locking the front door. She took a deep breath and let out a contented sigh. _'This is so nice…'_ With that thought she looped her headphones around her ears, selected a playlist and put it on random walked out the front gates as well as giving the 'inconspicuous' van along with the men that were being paid to stalk her a fair heads up before moving down the street at a power walk pace. It didn't really matter if she got lost, at worst she'd have to walk up to the van and ask for a ride home, or bum some cash off one of them for a cab ride. The first couple of songs were slow, but when she got a more energetic beat she let her body slid into the natural response; skipping before noticing that it looked completely stupid and trying to make it look like she had been jogging the whole time. _'Remember Lina. Military guys are watching you, no skipping.'_

After about an hour of power walking with sprints of jogging and the rare full out run she found herself at a lovely little park. She slowed down and walked between the trees, letting her hand brush the trunks as she passed, passively looking for the one spot that would be shady most of the day without leaving a watermark on the seat of her pants. Mother Nature took pity on her today by letting her find that sweetest of spots without a harrowing experience such as stepping in a ditch, or tripping over a non-existent tree root. It was now she noticed that she had brought everything; except for that damn yoga matt. _'Figures…I bring everything but the 5' long, neon orange sheet of bendable foam.'_ Carefully she let herself sit down, examining the grass before trusting it. The music was turned off and her ipod put away, her favorite sunglasses sliding on as she then assumed the lotus position and drifted into meditation. An unremarkable amount of time passed before she felt like some (who was not supposed to be) watching her. Initially the distraction was far enough away that she had an easy time of ignoring it, brushing it off to return to the reflective state in which to discover what secrets lay in-waiting. Thirty minutes had passed and try as she might the sensation of being watched kept her locked in her current physical form, furthermore she was starting to get annoyed and if she was honest, a little scared. Forcing herself to be composed, Lina proceeded in putting up her mental barriers to help her focus, wanting to at least achieve some minuscule form of improvement today. Instead of the sensation getting weaker, whatever was causing it was coming closer. Now, she was wavering between annoyed and worried, but anger was a more useful emotion than panic. She sat there; her once peaceful posture tensing, her eyes no longer closed to seek the truth within but out of trepidation for this unknown interloper. When the _'it'_ got closer to her she could hear the rustling of grass, hoping that the bodyguards had not decided on taking their coffee break right now. Suddenly the sound of movement stopped a few feet ahead of her, slightly to the right. It was tense as she waited for any form of speech or action, obstinately keeping her eyes closed. She would not give in to her curiosity! Who ever had decided on trying to get a rise out of her would have to walk away empty handed. She was not going to look, not now; maybe after the person left but certainly not while they where waiting. How would they notice if she sneakily peaked from under her eyelids, but she was definitely not interested in knowing what was disturbing her. Slyly she lifted her eyelids just a few millimeters, and saw nothing. A few more millimeters, still no form that would indicate a person. Now she opened her eyes and looked around in front of her, confused when she saw no one except the squirrel collecting nuts a few yards away.

"I must be paranoid."

"I think they have medication for that now." She squeaked as the deep, baritone voice rang out from behind her left ear. Attempting to spring to her feet, Lina only ended up tripping over her crossed legs and her arms flailing to stop her from kissing mother earth and doing so just in the nick of time. She twisted from her prone position on the ground to look behind her and met a pair of legs clad in black slacks with boots visible from under the hem. Slowly her eyes traveled up his legs, following them to a trim waist that was attached to long torso, dressed in a black collared shirt, that displayed strong shoulders with long arms and then finally she passed his neck and saw his face with his sunglasses hiding his eyes. Of all the comments that flew through her brain, the only one that was actually processed into a sentence was.

"You're really tall."

Alucard let a small grin cross his lips at her reaction to his presence. Watching her struggle to get on her own feet and then to avoid falling face first into the grass had been comic. When she turned around to look up at him he had straighten up to his full height, tilting his head slightly so she would see his face. What he had expected her to say he wasn't sure, but this particular comment had done the improbable. It caught him off guard.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" She just continued to sit there on the grass; her legs stretched out in front of her and her upper body being supported by her arms and gave him a small shrug. He felt and saw her eyes on his face, every once in a while making the apparently long trek down to his boots and up again.

"Neither, I'm just stating a fact." They stood there staring at each other through their sunglasses silently for a moment, neither making any sign of moving. Alucard let his mind wander over to hers. Planning on reading her mind for some clue as to her thoughts so he would stay one step ahead of her. He was surprised at how few defenses he found and easily slipped into the conscious mind and listened.

 _'He has got to be somewhere around 7' 5", no. If he was that tall he would have gigantism and that s a rare condition. He is definitely over 6' 2", he has to be! Wonder if he's ever hit his head walking through a door?'_ He pulled out of her mind as he realized she was actually obsessing over his height and all the things she associated with being tall. He spoke exasperatedly to her.

"I'm 6' 6", and no I've never hit my head on a door." An eyebrow shot up at his statement, then shrugged it off as an obvious reaction to her staring. _'He's probably used to people asking him.'_

"Well….I am glad we have that out of the way. Now would you please mind explaining what the fuck you were doing watching me?" Hearing the harsh cuss in her speech grated on his ears. The fact she had such a crude word in her vernacular and used so casually was bothering him.

"I was curious to why you would be sitting out here all alone." He looked her up and down and flashed a (hopefully) friendly grin, wary of his fangs. She looked for a few moments and then burst into a small fit of giggles. That wiped the grin off his face, he was used to people being scared of him, or being uncontrollably attracted and throwing themselves at his feet. He, the once great and future king of vampires was standing outside in a grassy park, getting laughed at by a nineteen year old girl. She managed to get herself under control and stopped laughing, realizing she had offended him.

"Sorry…it's just that grin didn't look natural on your face, it was actually kind of cute. But why did you really come over here?" He found himself yet again off unprepared for her statement of him being…cute.

"Is it a crime now if a man wants to meet a woman? Especially a-" She held up a hand to stop him, a smile on her lips as she shook her head.

"Okay, I'll tell you right now, I'm not going to fall for any of these lines. If you came over here to hit on me and try and give your buddies a laugh for hitting on the weird girl then turn around, tell them what you want and leave me to my life." She got to her feet, rolling her eyes and starting to walk away from him and back towards home. He was a bit taken aback by the sudden hostility in her voice, moving to stop her departure.

"Please miss….a face nu plecare eu." She stopped, turning to look at him while taking her sunglasses off. He had not seen her eyes up close…he felt a strange, familiar sensation as her hazel eyes stared him down. Soon she pulled her ipod out and found the timer function.

"You have two minutes."

Chapter End.


	6. Awkward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic and underlined phrases represent characters speaking in different languages. I got really fed up with the translators online.

Alucard carefully watched her from the corner of his eye as they looked out over the park, the guards were still missing, but she just figured they wanted to let her have privacy. Alucard had purposely kept them away, using his powers of 'persuasion' (hypnosis) to keep her guards all busy till he left. She was silent, shifting every once in a while to get comfortable. He had asked her why she was wearing a jacket with a man hanging upside down. She had said he was the cover picture of the bands album, and he had asked her more questions from there. The macabre image did not seem to fit the bubbly tone of her voice and her giggly nature. While glimpsing into her mind he found himself at a loss as to what he 'saw'. Her thoughts were random, unorganized and commonly disturbing before something sweet and childish passed through. At one point during their walk to their present location she had been playing out an entire fantasy life while holding an engaging conversation with him about mental disorders. He was at a loss for how she pulled that off, and had since re-framed from entering her mind, finding it easier to understand her in the usual customs of human conversation.

"So….what is your name anyway? We never properly introduced ourselves. I'm Christina, but you can call me Lina, never really liked my first name." He turned his head to meet her curious look, the sunglasses still shielding her eyes from the summer sun. Somehow his plan had not accounted for this, his mind scuttling for a name to give her.

"Forgive me; it is indeed rude of me to have neglected to give you my name." Still nothing came to mind, how could he have overlooked this simple detail! "Vlad." Her eyebrow rose and she squared her shoulders, it was then he realized that he had just royally screwed himself.

"Vlad…." Her tone was expectant and he could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Dracula." He wanted to kick his own ass the second that left his lips. There was an awkward pause where she just stared at him, he felt every second under her stare and almost winced as she suddenly burst into a fit of mirthful giggles. Lina doubled over in laughter and earned many of her own stares as the minutes passed. After minutes she calmed down enough to give him a disbelieving glance. "I am Vlad Dracula." Alucard hoped she wasn't going to panic.

"From Romania?" He had her full attention now.

"So you were speaking in Romanian earlier." He flashed a grin, still careful of his fangs. Relaxing his posture on the small bench he stretched his arms out, one passing behind her.

"Yes, it is my mother tongue." She squinted her eyes as if trying to see if 'fake' was scribbled on his forehead, when she didn't see any visible sign of falsity he could see her eyes widen to dangerous limits. She stretched out her hand, her index finger extended and she poked his arm. When she found him to be solid she simply removed her finger and stared at him. She took her glasses off so she could get a better look at him.

"I got nothing to say except that I think I love you." Alucard felt his eyes widen and had no idea how to address this extremely outlandish proclamation on her part. "Oh god, that made me sound crazy." Yes it did, he already had theories, but she was close to confirming them. "It's just that I am like the world's biggest Dracula fan girl." Confirmed, she was off her rocker. "This is just….fucking awesome. Do you have any idea how funny that was. I love guys with a sense of humor. How did you guess I liked Dracula?" She was grinning like a maniac. Didn't people know what a monster he was?

"You do know that Dracula was a brutal king."

"Are you kidding me, what self respecting fan girl does not know? He managed to scare off the entire Turkish army with a forest of bodies that had been skewered. He killed the boyars at the start of his second reign and perfected methods of impalement that left the victims alive for days." He could sense her mixed emotions of disgust and terrifyingly enough arousal plus admiration for his actions. "I mean aside from all the innocent people he killed he was really instrumental in shaping modern horror and in preserving his country in a really difficult time."

"You know a great deal about him I take it?" She nodded proudly.

"Yup, I enjoy looking up stuff about him, and he's the best part of most vampire related media." He found this to be an interesting conversation, amused at the sheer delight in her eyes. Maybe he was just amused because he was his own favorite topic?

"What do you not know about him? Since it sounds like that would be a shorter list."

"I don't know his birthday, his favorite color, the name of his childhood pet. Oh and how he died. Every source I've ever looked at puts his birthday anywhere between November to December. And there is no real evidence for any given theory about how he died. I personally think it was execution for war crimes by the Hungarians." This was what interested her, and he couldn't give her the answers she wanted. At least he couldn't directly give them to her. Removing his glasses he slipped them into his pocket. He leaned closer to her, not really having to move closer since he was tall enough that he was face to face with her by leaning. He let his voice slip into his natural Romanian accent.

"So, what do you want to know about me?" Her cheeks flushed bright red so quickly he was not sure whether she had not been flushed all along. He could virtually taste her blood; moreover he wanted so much to just take it.

"Your real name and how old are you?" Oh good he had another chance at making this sound reasonable to her.

"I am Vlad Vladimirescu, and I am 30." She let out a sigh. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm 19." Ah…That's right; in this century age had become an important factor in relationships. And from some of the stories Seras and Walter had told him he knew that when older men dating younger girls it was usually frowned upon if the age differences were to large. To be perfectly honest most of the relationships were hundreds of times better than the ones back in his day but now there were legal repercussions. "So why does your last name contain your first name as well?" She was genuinely curious.

"Vladimirescu means son of Vlad or Vladimir. Vlad is a name my family has carried for a long time. I was born in the same village as Dracula."

"Oh, okay, that's cool. Is that why you introduced yourself as him?" He gave her a nod, glad that he had salvaged that problem.

"I believe in the same old honor code that he did. I wouldn't be a threat to you. I give you my word." She gave him a small smile that he took as a signal of her trust.

"That's nice, but what exactly are you giving me your word for. After all, I just met you." He moved in closer, being careful of not scaring her with his proximity.

"I know we just met, but I was hoping that it would turn into a somewhat regular occurrence. Perhaps we could meet tomorrow night for dinner?" He thought she had stopped breathing till she gave him a small nod.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. Let me give you my cell number and you can give me yours." Why wasn't life simple anymore?

"I don't have a cell phone." She blinked at him momentarily before recovering.

"Okay, then your landline?" He gave a small shake of his head. "Pager, email?"

"I have never had the need to posses any of them. My mail address will not do you any service either, I do not have one." He could see the strange look on her face at his informing her that he had none of the modern methods of interaction.

"So….How do we get in touch or meet up?" He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and held them towards her.

"Write down the name of a place you want to have dinner along with the time and I will meet you there."

"I don't know any of the places around here. I moved not to long ago, I still need to start learning how to drive the British way." He gave her a smile and simply wrote down the name of a restaurant and then let her specify the time. He folded the slip of paper and put it in her hand, feeling her shiver as their hands touched for the first time, skin to skin. He moved to stand and depart, seeing her jump to her feet in the fashion of someone who was unversed in the ways of courtship.

"It was lovely meeting you Lina." He held back his smirk as she blushed at the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"Same here Vlad. Guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow night." She extended her hand with the intent of giving a handshake and he quickly set her off balance by cupping her hand, leaning down while raising her hand then letting his lips ghost over the skin before giving her a seductive smile. He could hear her heart pounding away wildly in her chest.

"Tomorrow night." He slowly released her hand then calmly walked away; feeling a smirk on his lips, congratulating himself on a believable performance of humanity.

Lina stood there a few extra minutes, just watching him walk away before looking at the note in her hand. Her lips split into a grin and she bounced on the balls of her feet before she actually did a tiny victory dance. For some unknown reason the fates had taken pity on her and had sent the next best thing to the object of her unhealthy obsession, a man that was from Romania! Head swimming with rush of excitement, Lina sat back down, just staring at the elegant script he had written in. There must be some sort of catch; this was too good to be true.

"I've got to call Tammy." She stashed the note from Vlad in her ipod case before putting her sunglasses back on and heading back the way she had come at a comfortable walking pace. She looked at her phone, deciding that it was as good a time as any to call and waited for the other end to pick up.

"Hey Lina, how is England?" Lina was walking back the way she had come through the park, seeing the guards taking their places as her tails again.

"It's good. How are you?" Turning to her left she waited at the crosswalk till the van was visible.

"I'm fine, bored, waiting classes to start, you?" Lina really missed her best girlfriend, it was lonely being in a house with only guys, they just didn't understand sometimes, but hearing her voice made her feel a bit less lonely.

"Oh I'm good….great actually." Excitement was overflowing from her.

"You have a grin on your face, okay, spill." Lina took a deep breath, then proudly proclaimed.

"I am officially have a date tomorrow." There was a silence from the other end of the line.

"Lina….You are being careful aren't you? I don't want anything bad happening." Lina rolled her eyes.

"Of course I am, but it's so awesome, he speaks Romanian, is super tall, and he even joked that he was Dracula. I am excited." Lina let a small fit of giggles out. "He was so handsome too! Like a modern version of Dracula, but not cliché. Black hair, really pale, luckily no mustache, but he had these great eyes." There was another round of giggles from Lina.

"Nice, happy for ya, you nut ball. Just make sure he doesn't have fangs. You and the supernatural world don't have that great a history." While her friend was trying to sound supportive there was a hint of worry in her voice.

"I didn't check, but I'll keep an eye on it. Okay, just had to let you know. Bye Tammy, love you."

"Bye Lina, be safe." Lina hung up and put her phone away before she looked around and realized she was hopelessly lost. She had wondered down what she thought had been the correct street and now found herself in the middle of a slightly less respectable neighborhood. Thank god she was being watched; otherwise she would be officially screwed.

"Shit…." She looked around, seeing the 'unnoticeable' van and walked over to it, knocking on the window. The window rolled down and she sheepishly grinned. "Can I get a ride back home?" The back door open and she thanked them before hopping in, unaware of a set of eyes on her.

\-----------------

An hour after midnight…

Alucard sat in his home, looking around the decayed building and feeling the desire to break it down, tear it to shreds as well as burn it till there was nothing left. The urge to destroy was bubbling up inside him, to slaughter, to take every last thing that was pure and wholesome in this world and violate it. Evil was the driving force of his long, deranged existence. Twisted, black, condemned and stolen souls swirled around him, congregated around him, like the non believers would flock to the false prophet and the anti-Christ. His perverse heart filled with demonic glee at the thought of him being the ruler of the souls who would abandon their faith for pretty words. It would be fitting even if he was, had he not the most experience with the way to bend the wills of the populace to his every whim. Was it not he that had turned his back on God and carved a path that no god or devil showed him. Oh yes…he was so evil that he had become untouchable from both ends. Anderson, the whipping dog of the Vatican used every holy rite, every prayer, and form of exorcism on him and yet he walked freely in the world of the living. The devil had tried to breed more devastating creatures then him, sent them to try and dethrone him as the ruler of the undead and each challenger had failed. Why should he let the antiChrist have the souls of the living? Unlike the anti-Christ he could claim any soul he wanted, not just unbelievers. He could even start tonight; he could take London in a few hours, maybe a day if he took his time. Next he would move through Portugal, onto Spain and into the heartland of Europe and sweep across the globe in a counter clockwise pattern. He would chase the rising sun until it feared to rise. Arousal from the prospect of all that power within his grasp, and all that destruction made him moan in sinful delight. He let himself sink into the disgusting pit of wicked amusement his thoughts dragged him to. These were his prayers to his own ego.

'Vlad…You have saved me. Let me save you.' A woman's voice spoke in his mind in a language he hasn't used in centuries. Alucard jumped to his feet and frantically looked around him, finding himself alone and he collapses back onto his chair, running an ungloved hand through his hair. All the visible signs of his unearthly powers had vaporized into thin air and he was left there alone, an empty shell of the man he once was. Had he still been among the living he would have felt his heart clenching a bit in his chest.

"I don't need saving! I am my own God! I Alone! Leave me to my destruction! To my Heaven! To rule my Hell!" He had risen to his feet and had walked through the gaping opening in the crumbling wall, yelling at the only living thing on his property. A half dead, gnarled tree that had not grown leaves in years, that struggled for it's very existence was simply taking his rage. Alucard was furious at the tree; ranting and raving at it, letting his power over the every elements show by trying to bring down the tree with gusts of wind. Still the tree was defiant, it accepted the undeserved punishment. He summoned a gale; he would pelt the tree with arctic rain and winds till it died! The sky grew dark with his fury. Ominous clouds heavy with the rain smothered London city along with the surrounding country sides, then without any warning he released his rage on all of them. He stood there in the center of his domain as the storm raged, sheets of rain pelting the unprepared city as he let his own storm sooth his temper. Lightening and thunder soon joined the symphony while he stood there enjoying the chaos.

Chapter End.


	7. Never Ask

August 17….Home of Sir Hugh Irons…7:03 p.m.

Matt was escorting his aunt to a gala that was being hosted by one of her long time acquaintances, Lady Irons. His aunt and Lady Irons had gone to the same finishing school as young girls and had remained close friends since. His uncle was sick at home and when his aunt had asked he could not refuse her. His sweet aunt had been like a mother to him since his own parents had died overseas. He had put on his best clothes, in accordance to the customs and had even brushed up on the finer points of the ton's conduct. The small stud in his ear was gone and he seemed perfectly normal, the only thing he had not changed was the red strikes in his hair, but he had brushed his hair to try and make them less visible. It had been six years from his last social event on this world, and he had been extremely happy about that, but his aunt needed him and he would rise to the occasion. And speaking of the woman, his aunt was making her way towards him. She was a thin wisp of a woman, her once brown hair now elegantly spotted with strands of grey and her clothes reflected her conservative tastes. He was surprised that she was making her way to him since he had left her side to get her a drink, and then he noticed the gleam in her eyes that meant he was about to meet _'miss right'. 'Who is it this time Aunt Janette?'_ It all came flooding back to him why he had left this lifestyle, he hated the matchmaking. It was an outdated system; it was the older members trying to keep alive the traditions that had kept the blue bloods marrying in their own class even though many of the younger members would sooner sell their titles for a quick pound then to actually bother with it. Not that he would sell a family title, it's just that most the young women he had meet in the ton had eventually ended up being no different from girls he met, having caught a few of them doing drugs personally in his own club. He put on a smile his face. _'It's showtime.'_

"Oh Matthew, I'm so glad you decided to come with me tonight. I would have been dreadfully bored. Now come along dear, I want you to come say hello to our hosts." He didn't resist his aunt as she none too gently lead him through the crowd towards the hosts. He took a deep breath, not looking forward to the meeting. Many of the other guests had stared at his hair, and he felt like a leper at best. Sure enough when they drew closer the honorable Sir Hugh and Lady Irons looked him over with as much approval as he gave to a spider. Of course Lady Irons was more forgiving of his appearance as soon as she saw his aunt. Lady Irons was once a dark blonde, now slowly her hair was lightening to a pale blonde. She was also in a conservative dress, her make up minimal and it was easy to see that both of the women had been beautiful in their youth and were aging well for being in their fifties. The two started to laugh and exchange pleasantries with genuine feeling.

"Oh Janette, I am simply delighted to see you. After I heard the news about Charles being ill I was positive you would not attend. So wonderful you could make it. How is your darling daughter Samantha?" The last comment took the conversation into a heavy air.

"Oh Samantha is doing well, she's starting her first year in our alma mater. It was so wonderful that the school started admitting for elementary level, since I live so close I have less to worry about." Both Lady Irons and Sir Hugh Irons nodded, knowing just how hard it had been when Samantha had gone missing last year for his aunt and uncle.

"Lady Dyrmire, we are just glad to know Samantha is home." Sir Hugh's voice was sincere. His aunt nodded, using her handkerchief to dab at her eyes and stop herself from getting emotional.

"Beatrice, Sir Hugh this is my nephew Matthew. He is the one escorting me for the evening." All in the group could tell his aunt was trying to change the upsetting topic. Matt extended his hand and was relieved when Sir Hugh returned the motion. Sir High was a man of very demanding presence. He was easily in his early seventies, his hair grayed in a dignified manner and his eyes showing the razor sharp intellect. He could tell Sir Hugh was a bit surprised at his firm handshake. He then gave Lady Irons a very respectful drop of his head over her gloved hand.

"This can't possibly be the same scrawny young boy that was busy at Oxford school of business just a few years ago. You turned into such a handsome young man." He smiled and thanked her for being so complementary.

"It is good to see you taking care of your aunt Mr. Vance. I hear you have a successful business, are you planning on expanding?"

"Yes, I do well for myself, as far as expanding I have yet to decide. I'm busy doing some research to make sure that it would be a sound investment." Sir Hugh nodded, and then seemed to notice someone coming towards their little party from behind him.

"That is a wise business plan. If I may be excused momentarily, I need to discuss something with Lord Raymore." He looked to his wife who gave him a nod of approval before he left their little group. Matt stayed at his aunts' side as the two women talked of light topics. Had he been paying attention he would have noticed that he was been led through the crowd towards a familiar woman. He was only brought back to the present when his aunt elbowed him.

"Matthew, meet Lady Wingates." He looked to see none other then Director Integra, a small flash of surprise in her eyes at seeing him here. "Lady Wingates, my nephew Matthew Vance. We'll leave the two of you alone." Before either of them could stop the departing women they were lost in the crowd. He realized that both older women had decided on setting the two up.

"I didn't know that the Viscountess of Dyrmire was your aunt." Integra broke the silence first, looking displeased at the whole situation. He took note of her dress, he had to admit, Integra looked fantastic in the dress, her long blonde hair pulled back slightly so her face was more visble.

"Yeah, my father was Lord Dyrmire's brother. And yourself?"

"My Great-grandfather was knighted." Matt nodded his head, feeling uncomfortable.

"Do you want to have a quick smoke?" She simply nodded and they left the crowded room and went to the balcony where he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handing her one, lighting it then repeating the action for his own benefit. Integra took a deep breath and let the nicotine sooth her frayed nerves. The convention of twelve had met two hours before the gala, the party being thrown as an excuse for them being at the residence and she was none to happy about the discourse.

"I didn't think you were a smoker." He shrugged, taking slow drags.

"I'm not, just every once in a while. Took it up last year actually when…well it's not important why." Integra leaned against the railing and looked over the property, feeling the calming effect of the cancer stick.

"Knowing who you are related to, I can guess. How old is she?" Matt leaned against the railing as well, the two of them not giving the other so much as a glace.

"Samantha is turning nine next month on the 21st." There was a pause, Matt taking another hit off the cigarette. He pulled out his wallet and showed Integra a picture of a little girl at what she assumed was a family Christmas event. The little girl had straight brown hair that was at shoulder length, her front tooth missing and an innocent smile on her face.

"Is she adopted?" Matt chuckled a bit at the question, knowing that most people thought that since his aunt was in her fifties.

"No, my aunt and uncle actually were thinking they would have to adopt till one day when I was sixteen my aunt found out she was pregnant. I was really happy for them. Still am." Integra gave him a small smile, biting her lip as the question that everyone in the ton had been wondering about crossed her mind. "It's alright Lady Wingates, you can ask it." Matt knew that it was the biggest taboo in the high society to ask about such things, but he felt that Integra wasn't a member of the gossip mill.

"What happened?" Matt finished his smoke off and ground out the butt. Taking a deep breath before he began the story; staring out at the trees swaying off in the distance.

"Samantha was at the mall with her nanny last year, and the next thing I know I get a call that the nanny and her boyfriend kidnapped Samantha. They wanted two million pounds for Samantha's return by the end of the week or they said we would never see her again. We liquidated everything we could but we didn't meet the deadline. They just disappeared from the U.K. and we were devastated. Police tried to find them but you can imagine how useless that is. For three months we just sat by the phone and waited for anything regarding her. I actually gave up hope, stopped going to church, and started smoking along with drinking like a fish. Then out of nowhere my aunt gets a call from the U.S. that they found Samantha alive and that we can come get her. I dropped everything, flew out first, didn't pack, and didn't even bother to bring more then my passport plus my bank card while wearing the clothes on my back. Of course my aunt and uncle were only an hour behind me. We picked Samantha up, brought her home. End of story." Integra felt her heart clench, he still seemed so upset and frustrated, his knuckles white. There must be more that was too painful to talk about, and she didn't think she wanted to know.

"I'm so sorry, it must have been awful. But how did they find her?" Matt turned to look at Integra and gave her a sad smile.

"Lina found her." Behind her glasses, Integra's eyes widened at the statement.

"How on earth did Miss Khayam manage to find her?"

"Sheer dumb luck. Lina was in downtown Los Angeles running errands for her mother, sees Samantha being dragged off by a waste of fucking flesh, goes over; starts a big scene. The next thing in the police report is that Lina had Samantha hidden in the back of Lina's car, and the woman was on the ground with a broken femur because she had tried to drag her from Lina, so Lina had tossed her to the ground and twisted her leg." Matt seemed to be in a lighter mood as he progressed through this part of the story.

"I have a whole new level of respect for Miss Khayam. It explains why you let her stay at your home. But why did she move out here to begin with?"

"Well, she had some issues back home and she needed to get away. When she told me that I offered her the chance to come here; my uncle pulled some strings at the college. If she does well this next year at Trinity, she'll have a chance to attend Oxford." Integra gave him a smile.

"Don't worry. This stays between us." He smiled back and offered Integra another cigarette. She declined yet they stayed out there on the balcony while the party progressed in the hall.

"So are you here with a date?" This question caught Integra off guard.

"No, I'm not accompanied tonight." He gave her a charming grin.

"Then do you feel up for a dance?"

\---------------------

9:27 p.m. ….Vance Residence

Alucard was outside the gate of the Vance residence, about to walk in when he overheard an unfamiliar music playing from inside the house. It was dark, depressing and somehow invigorating. Seras stopped him inside the gate, glaring.

"Alucard…Stop right now and leave." The seriousness in his fledglings' voice and the determined set of her eyes made Alucard laugh.

"Police girl, you can't stop me even if you used every last ounce of your strength I would still be able to swat you like a fly." Seras growled, but knew he was right. She would be squished before she was useless. Damn it she would earn everyone's respect even if it killed her.

"I'm assigned to protect Miss Khayam. You won't win this time." Alucard was surprised at Seras's boldness, stepping closer to her, each silent step making the air grow heavier.

"What do you mean police girl?" He was not amused anymore.

"I did my research Alucard…or should I say Dracula. You turned Lucy Westenra, you tried to take Mina Harker, and you turned me. I won't let you go around collecting brides again. As an officer of the Hellsing Organization, I demand you leave the property, as well as Miss Khayam alone." Seras squared her shoulders and prepared herself for the blow she knew he was going to deliver. She could hear the terrible rumbling sound that emanated from his dark chest, yet she stood firm. Minutes passed and yet no death blow came and Seras opened her eyes to see Alucard staring behind her towards the front door. Turning her head just a bit, Seras saw a little girl watching the two of them from the window next to the door. Lina came behind the child and opened the door, the two vampires seeing the two humans dressed in all black, looking like vampire impersonators. Lina had on bright scarlet lipstick, her face paler with the help of powder, dark rings under her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days, the little girl wearing lighter layers of makeup.

"Um….What are you two doing out here?" Vlad quickly composed himself and side stepped Seras to approach Lina, the child ducking behind Lina's leg. Her voice sounded a bit different and it was then he noticed the fangs in her mouth.

"Sorry, I was hoping to surprise you tonight with dinner when I was stopped. But it seems you have company. Having a game of dress up are we?" The little girl clung tighter to Lina's leg and turned away from him.

"Yeah, we were. Seras, can you stay with her for a minute so I can talk to Vlad alone. Thanks." There was an uncomfortable pause before Seras brushed past her master and switched places with Lina as the child darted off into the living room. Lina closed the door behind her and walked just a few feet from the porch, Alucard following her. She swirled on him and seemed in to be frustrated plus pleased to see him, leaving him a bit confused. "Vlad, I'm really flattered that you came over here to see me. But I can't go out tonight." He nodded; after all it appeared that she was busy babysitting.

"I understand. Perhaps you will join me tomorrow night then? Or can I come in tonight." He was putting on all of his charm, even making sure to include his accent since she responded well to that. He was not prepared to have this weak mortal point a chef's knife at him.

"Sorry Vlad, as nice as it would be, I can't let you come in. It's not appropriate since I'm watching someone's child to have friends over without parent permission." He kept his eyes on the knife since she carelessly flung it about with her hand gestures. She realized just then that she had been brandishing it, blushing as she lowered her hand. "Sorry, forgot I had that." She laughed nervously which brought a smile to his lips.

"What were you doing with the knife in the first place?" He asked in a teasing voice.

"I grabbed it when I heard growling out here. I didn't want to be defenseless." He looked back at the house were police girl was with the child.

"What about your personal bodyguard?"

"She doesn't know Sean as well as I do." There was a pause that was for her a pain and for Alucard the first clue to the hunt. "Sorry to do this but I gotta get back inside. Swing by around eight tomorrow night and we'll go out. Bye." She pulled on his cravat to bring him down to her level. He didn't resist, unsure of her intent and had to hold himself in check as her soft lips brushed lightly over his cold cheek. It was so quick he was unsure if it had really happened because he saw her ducking back inside the house with the definite click of the lock. He stood there for a moment, bringing his hand up to his check and pressing it to the spot then drawing them away to find the stain from her lipstick.

"Till tomorrow then." He slowly left the property, Seras watching him to make sure of it.

Inside the house Lina found Samantha sitting quietly on the couch in the living room, waiting for her to come back. Lina smiled, Samantha giving a small one in return. Seras came back into the room, still unused to the sight of them dressed the way they were. The knife had been replaced to its proper spot in the kitchen.

"I don't like him. He's creepy." Lina sighed, not sure she wanted to discuss the topic with an child. Seras had to stop from nodding in agreement; planning on talking to Lina later on when they were alone.

"I know he's creepy, don't worry Sammie. He left, I promise." Samantha nodded her approval and then began to stare out the window. "Do you want to keep listening to music? Or play a board game?"

"I want to get un-scary and watch cartoons please." Lina smiled while packing up her makeup, glad to see that Samantha was ready to start coming out of the Goth mood before she needed to clean her up for her parents.

"Alright, we'll go wash the makeup off." Seras stayed in the living room, sitting down on the couch and waiting for the two to come back. When they returned, they looked normal again and they were both in pajamas. Seras sat on the small couch across from them as the little girl curled up in a blanket and watched the mind numbing humor with Lina just as actively engaged to the animated programming. Two hours passed with small chit chat and giggles at the childish jokes. Soon Seras could sense that Matt and his aunt had returned and opened the door for them since Lina had the little girl passed out on her lap.

"Oh…She's sleeping. My little angel." Lady Dyrmire cooed as she found Samantha asleep. Matt scooped her up so Lina could greet his aunt properly. Lady Dyrmire told Matt to take Samantha out to the car so she could go get back home before it was too late. Seras went to assist Matt while Lina took out the small bag that Lady Dyrmire had left with Samantha's belongings. "Thank you so much for taking care of Samantha tonight. She really wanted to see you again. Here, take it." Lina was a little surprised as she was handed a few bank notes. She shook her head and passed it back to the older woman.

"It's no problem. She's easy to take care of. I would never ask you to pay me for watching her."

Chapter End


	8. A Challenger approaches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there readers! Your author Lina speaking and I would just like to thank you for reading and hope you will continue to read on. So no one is confused, I did skip the month of July in the story because it was not essential to the plot. All you need to know is that Lina and Alucard have been dating a great deal in the time skip. He will start to go in between thinking of himself as Vlad and Alucard, so don't get confused.

August 20th ….Hellsing Headquarters….3 p.m.

Lina was amazed at the grandeur of the mansion. Following Walter through the halls of estate while listening to the history behind each piece, Lina couldn't help but be nervous. Why Miss Wingates had called her in was a mystery to her, and being blindfolded had not helped. At first she had been terrified that she had been kidnapped, that her life was over, until the driver had told her what exactly was going on. _'I hope this doesn't take to long, I still have to get ready for my date with Vlad.'_

"This way Miss, Director Wingates will join you shortly in her office." They arrived at a pair of large doors, Walter opening one and letting her enter before closing it after she entered. The room was somewhat bare, huge windows lining the far wall and flooding the room with light. Checkered tile floor accompanied by a high ceiling. The walls were either organized files or books devoid of labels, only numbers. The only furniture in the expansive space was a solid, dark cherry wood desk with a matching chair. There were three portraits hanging on the open space of the right wall. All the subjects of the paintings were men, and Lina could see that there was a family resemblance. She took the time to study the paintings. She was particularly drawn to the painting of the man who was easily in his sixties, his blue eyes staring out watchfully in to the room. He was wearing a red over coat and a somewhat familiar cravat.

"That is my great-grandfather." Lina squeaked at the sound of a voice behind her, twisting to meet Director Wingates. Integra smiled a bit, seeing the girl trying to compose herself again. "Sorry if I caught you by surprise." Lina gave a soft chuckle in nervousness.

"It's alright; I guess I'm just a little jumpy." Integra nodded, dressed in her green pinstripe suit. Lina noticed that Integra was not as hostile as she had been to her on their previous encounters.

"You have reason to be. You lived through a werewolf attack; have my troops watching your movements, and then having to be blindfolded to come here. Next time I might be able to arrange a meeting in a public place." Glancing back at the portraits, Lina could see the same blue eyes in Integra as the three men that were now immortalized.

"Who are these men?"

"The man in red is my great-grandfather; he died before my grandfather was born. My father is the one without glasses. My grandfather is the one in the grey suit; he passed away months before I was born. I work hard to live up to the standards they set." There was the emotional undertone that was rare for anyone to hear from Integra.

"You will." Lina looked at Integra and said it with such certainty that Integra wondered if Lina knew more then she let on. "After all, greatness is rarely recognized before it has been reached." There was a heavy, but peaceful air between them. "So what did you need to speak to me about Director Wingates?" This snapped Integra back into the business first mind set. Integra moved over to her desk, Lina following and standing on the other side.

"We have hit a snag in our investigation into your attack and I thought it would be prudent to interview you since you were not in the proper state during the original investigation." Lina nodded, feeling uncomfortable but not wanting to be a hassle.

"Okay, what do you need to know?" Integra pulled out what looked like a statement sheet and jotted down a few things that Lina couldn't read from across the space of the desk.

"Do you have an idea of why you would have been attacked in the first place?"

"Yeah, my ex-boyfriend has issues with being told 'no'." Integra's head snapped up from the paper so quickly Lina swore she heard a few vertebrae crack.

"Do you mean to tell me that you knew exactly who was trying to kill you and you never bothered to inform us. For two months." Lina felt a shiver go up her spine at how cold Integra's voice had become. _'It's back to square one.'_

"Well...I don't know if he was the wolf for sure...but I thought you would know, I have a five year restraining order on Sean." Integra had to take a deep breath. She was going to have a few choice words for the head of her research department.

"You had better tell me everything you know about this Sean." Lina did not want to know what the unspoken 'or else' constituted.

"Sean Thorndale is 24; we dated for six months this past year." Lina opened up her wallet and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, straightening it out and handing it to Integra. "That's the only picture I have of him. I thought he was just being a smart ass when he told be he was a werewolf. I only know that he is the pack leader, never met any of the pack members, he was really possessive. I wish I was more helpful, but everything else I know about him is really more concentrated on our failed relationship." Something didn't seem right, why would she have a picture of him in her wallet? Integra was going to have to have her staff go back over documents with a fine toothed comb now. Something was very out of place.

"You are free to go. Walter will drive you home."

"I'm really sorry, I thought the restraining order would come up. I promise if I think of anything else I'll tell Seras right away." Integra didn't bother looking away from the paperwork she had begun to fill out, requisitioning a search into the new lead.

"Good bye Miss Khayam." Lina sighed but moved to the large doors, opening one then slipping out and meeting Walter who led her through the manor to the car. A black strip of fabric was handed to her, Lina understood the meaning. She tied it over her eyes then leaned back against the seat, listening to the radio.

\--------------------

The Vance residence….6:30 p.m.

Steve dug through the fridge, making a plate from the leftovers of Lina's home cooked meals. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed, which he had. He was in a pair of black boxers and a wife beater. He turned on the TV then changed it to the news. Sitting at the island counter he ate slowly, paying attention mostly to the attractive news anchor. As he sat there the doorbell rang. Steve tiredly got up and moved towards the door, figuring Lina had forgotten her keys again. Opening the door he was met with an extremely tall man in a black trench coat over his suit with sunglasses. He blinked up at the stranger, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The stranger looked like something out of the 1800's, yet older and newer at the same time.

"Can I help you?" The strange man gave Steve the chills, made him fidgety.

"I was wondering if you know where Miss Khayam is." The smooth voice slivered up Steve's back and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Why should I tell you?" The strangers lips slowly spread into a grin, moving in such a way that Steve was tempted to slam the door and run for the hills.

"I am her date tonight." Steve's eyes narrowed, his temper flaring just a bit. This guy had to be at least thirty.

"I don't think so; she's way too young for you. Why don't you come back next century bud." Alucard had to suppress his chuckle, knowing that he could easily accomplish that suggestion.

"Lina wouldn't agree with you on that." Now Steve was getting annoyed.

"Look pal, she's hasn't mentioned anything about having a date tonight so get lost." Alucard put his hand on the door, stopping Steve from shutting it on him.

"We have been dating since June. If you have some issue with our relationship then the least you should do is invite me in to discuss them. After all, you don't want to be a rude host." Steve wanted to just close the door and return to his food, but for some strange reason he couldn't.

"Fine….Come in and wait for her. But if she doesn't want to go with you I will call the police." Alucard nodded his head in agreement, stepping into the house. "Take off your shoes. Lina gets nuts about shoes in the house." Steve walked back into the kitchen and sat down again, taking his fork back up. Alucard took a seat at the counter a few seats away from Steve. Both men sat there quietly, watching the news. "Want something to eat?"

"No, I don't feel much like eating." Human food at least, he had a blood packet in his pocket. As comfortable as Lina said she was with vampires, he had an odd feeling she would not appreciate being his snack.

"What is your name?" Neither male bothered to look at the other one.

"Vlad Vladimirescu."

"So Vlad, you do know that Lina is 19, and you're what, fucking 32. Have some bloody fucking shame." Vlad had to keep his hands still to keep from ripping off the young man's head. But he could appreciate this man's defense of a young woman.

"I am well aware of the age boundary." He did know, but Lina on the other hand was only partly aware of the true age difference between them.

"She isn't like the American girls you see on TV. She's not some tart that you can use to deal with your midlife crisis. She's smart and has her whole life planned out, she doesn't need some asshole trying to jerk her around." Alucard could feel the anger rolling off this young man in waves. Steve's voice never changed from the standoffish tone, and had it not been for the words spoken someone would have thought they were having a normal conversation between strangers.

"I know she's intelligent. She means a lot more to me then a plaything." Steve took a bite from his plate.

"If you hurt her I will bloody slaughter you." Steve glared at Alucard; there was an uneasy tension between the two. _'Oh mortal, I would love to for you to try.'_ Finally Steve picked up his plate subsequently putting it in the sink then left the room. Alucard sat there, unsure what he was supposed to do now that he had been left alone in the house.

"Seems that I have do not have the stamp of approval yet." He stood up and wandered around the lower floor, examining the belongings.

"Vlad, what are you doing here?" He turned to see Lina staring at him as she walked through the front door.

"One of your roommates let me in. I was hoping to take you out somewhere special since you will be starting your classes next Monday." He gave her a smile, seeing the spark of girlish delight in her eyes.

"What should I wear?" He looked her up in down, his sunglasses posed sexily at the tip of his nose, letting her see his 'brown' eyes.

"You can wear anything you want." She rolled her eyes at his playful line. "Or you could wear something warm and comfortable."

"Alright, I'll be back down in a like half an hour, you are free to grab something to eat or drink." Lina went up to her room, pulling out her cutest pair of black jeans. She loved the black lace trim, the thin chains and excess ribbons that were tied into bows. She then grabbed her black and purple striped off the shoulder top and laid it on her bed. The drawer of her dresser was slid open as she found her favorite bra and panty set. "Oh Lina, what are you thinking." Yet even as she scolded herself she took the underclothes into the bathroom with her. She undid her hair, ran the water and brushed her teeth as she waited for the water to warm up. Lina quickly let the shampoo clean her hair, put in the conditioner and then scrubbed herself with her sweet pea body wash. Stepping out of the shower she dried off and then brushed her hair and twisted it up into a bun, clipping it up so she could deal with the rest of the preparation. Forty-five minutes later Lina was dressed and putting on her heeled boots along with her make-up. "Okay, just a dab of powder, a touch of purple eye shadow, a spray of perfume and this red lip gloss. Perfect, go get yourself a vampire, and don't come back till you do." Laughing at her little pep talk Lina grabbed her trademarked, well wore MCR jacket hoody, her hair was down and straightened, side bangs framing her face. "Vlad, I'm ready." Vlad looked up at her coming down the stairs.

"You look ravishing my dear." Lina blushed and played with her bangs.

"Thanks, you don't look all that bad yourself." He grinned and leaned down, pulling a few strands of her hair forward to frame her face better.

"Are you ready to come with me?" She blinked up at him, the air suddenly thick between them. He searched her eyes, realizing the implications and the meaning behind the simple question. The implications were lost on her, a smile on her lips.

"Of course I am ready Vlad, I'm just sorry I kept you waiting." He smiled at her, putting her sunglasses on her face gently.

"I do not mind waiting for you, but I'm pleased you're ready." He led her out the door, letting her write a note and locking the door. "Where did you come from, if I'm not intruding?" He could smell that she had been to Hellsing headquarters, but since he had trouble reading her mind he decided to ask. She was fiddling with her small black purse.

"The police had to ask me a few follow up questions. Nothing to bother yourself with." He let her drop the topic, for now. "So, where are you taking me tonight?" He gave her a playful grin.

"That my dear girl is a surprise." He stopped in front of a motorcycle, if Lina was not mistaken, a custom one. Lina didn't know much about cars and motorcycles, but it looked very high end. She looked around, realizing with a small sliver of fear that this was his ride. _'Oh crap.'_

"Um…Vlad, I've never ridden on a motorcycle before." He handed her a helmet, patting her shoulder reassuringly.

"I am the safest driver you could ever have. Don't worry I'll drive slowly so you can get used to it." He held her hand and gave her a cocky look, playfully begging for her to trust him. She rolled her eyes at him as she put on her hood before she put the helmet on, not wanting to let her hair get screwed up.

"I do trust you Vlad, but if you make that stupid face again I will leave." Over dramatically he rolled his eyes and sat down, Lina seeing that he was so tall that the only space for her was on his lap. "Don't feel me up, it's literally not fair." He just chuckled, letting her get settled before he snaked his arms past her to grip the handles. Leaning against his chest Lina put her hands on his thighs so she could have something to hold onto.

"Then I must insist that you refrain from doing the same." He leaned down and gave her a steamy look, speaking in a husky voice. "Otherwise I will have to spank you." She cried out indignantly as his perverse remark and tapped him on the arm; half in shock and the other have to reprimand him.

"That's not fair, I have to touch you. If I don't I'm likely to die." He chuckled again, Lina feeling the sound rumbling in his chest.

"I had no idea I have that sort of effect on you. Since you have to touch me I will only give you a light spanking." She tapped his thigh this time to reprimand him.

"Shut up and drive already, perv." He laughed openly, knowing she was just teasing him.

"As you wish my lady." He started the engine and revved it. Enjoying the way she pushed herself closer to him as they moved through the inner city traffic. It took a great deal of self control to resist the urge to speed up and swerve in-between the other vehicles. The small human was tensed up so much he was worried that she would injury herself. He could feel her gripping his thighs like a vice, he was sure that a mortal would find it painful. He allowed his power of persuasion to creep over her mind. "Calm down Lina, just relax your muscles and take even breaths, enjoy this." He could feel his power taking effect as her body relaxed and she started to breath normally again, her scent not overpowered with fear. After they left the city limits she had become comfortable enough for him to leave her mind. She began to take pleasure in the feel of the wind rushing by them. Her eyes soaking in the beauty of the English countryside, laughing as he sped up and performed a wheelie. Encouraged Alucard went faster and to made sharper turns, Lina wrapping her arms around his waist, laughing from the adrenaline rush. Ultimately they came to the end of the paved road. Before Lina knew it they were driving over the gravel and dirt towards the cliffs overlooking the sea. Vlad stopped once he felt they were close enough and turned the bike off, letting Lina slid from his lap before dismounting. He watched her stretch out the kinks in her joints. Removing the helmet she shook out her hair, relieved to find that it wasn't a mass of knots.

"This is so beautiful Vlad; I've been dying to see the ocean again." He put a few stray strands of her hair back behind her ear, enjoying the delighted look in her eyes.

"I had a feeling this is exactly what you needed." He opened the compartment under the seat of the bike to retrieve a blanket. Setting it down he unwrapped it to expose a bottle with two glasses. Lina gazed at the landscape, seeing the rolling green fields with a few sparse trees. Behind her there was a sheer cliff that was met with the sapphire sea. The surf was tranquil. Only a soft swishing sound echoed from the bottom. "Join me won't you." Alucard waited for Lina to sit down first before settling himself next to her. They sat together watching the sun setting silently through their sunglasses as the surf continued its soft lullaby. Lina scooted closer to Vlad as it grew colder, resting her head on his shoulder. Alucard politely put his arm around her to help keep her warm. Even with her jacket and his arm around her she shivered from the coastal breeze. He let his fingers run through her hair, watching the way her eyes drifted closed and he half expected her to start purring.

"What do we have to drink?" She asked in a sleepy voice, licking her lips to keep them moist. Bringing the bottle up he read the label that classified it as a Chardonnay. A small frown came to her lips. "Did you bring anything else to drink?" He looked down at her thinking to himself. _'Well, the medical blood in my pocket and you.'_

"I did not. Would you prefer something else to drink?" He could tell she was unsure how to tell him what was on her mind as this topic went.

"I know this sounds weird, but I'm not comfortable drinking. No doubt that you picked a very nice wine, but I'm too young to do it back home, and…" Pausing she tried to figure how much to share about this topic with him. " Sorry, I just am not comfortable with it." He handed her the bottle and grinned at her. Lina read the label and smiled back, seeing that it was just sparkling apple cider.

"You never ordered a drink or asked for a sip of wine before. I was just teasing you, I know you don't drink." He opened the bottle and poured for her first. Wow, either he was really detail oriented...or he could read her mind.

"That is really sweet of you to notice. I usually have to fight with people to make sure they don't force it on me. What is it to them if I don't want to drink, or smoke, or do drugs? My life, my body, my choices." She took a sip and curled back up against him.

"Give me names; they won't be a problem anymore." It was said in jest, but he meant it. Soft chortles came from her, patting his arm in a way to sooth what she thought was feigned anger.

"I appreciate the offer Vlad, but I can handle that myself." They fell back into silence, Lina taking sips every so often while Vlad had to force his stomach to keep the liquid down. Sun set passed and the sky faded from the bright orange, red, pink and gold hues to the cool blues and violets of the night. Stars slowly materialized into the sky while temperatures dropped into the low fifties which caused Lina to shiver even more, her teeth chattering. Not waiting for her to ask Alucard unfastened his coat and pulled her between his legs also closing his over sized coat around her. Lina made what sounded like a squeak as she found herself pressed against his chest. "Um….Vlad….?" He stared into her eyes, removing both their sunglasses and putting them away in a pocket. Her eyes had changed from the normal brown to a mix of brown and green.

"You didn't bring a thick enough coat. I can't let you freeze out here." He leaned closer to her, listening as her heart started to beat wildly. Unable to resist their closeness, the way her small, warm, feminine body felt against his cold, large chest Vlad brushed his lips to hers. At first there was no response except that her body tensed up. He gently pressed his lips to hers, relieved when she shyly returned the kiss, trying to follow his movements while her hands pressed to his chest then slide up to rest on his shoulders. He pulled away just a bit to let her catch her breath, seeing the innocent doe eyed look she was giving him. The shivers that traveled up and down her body had nothing to do with the temperature. "Are you alright Lina?" Normally he would say something to draw out a blushing response from her, but this was said with compassion. She nodded, biting her lip.

"Vlad…I am not all that experienced with…what I mean to say is that…I-I-" He placed a long finger to her lips to silence her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Lina saw a very gentle look in his eyes, full of an emotion that she wasn't sure she could classify.

"Lina, are you a virgin?" She nodded, not making eye contact with him. He put his finger under her chin to force eye contact with him.

"Yes, you are going to leave now aren't you?" He thought she was about to cry, tears gathering and her body curling defensively.

"Lina…Why would you think I would leave you? Because you haven't had sex?" She nodded and he chuckled at bit, the humor relaxing her nerves a smidgen.

"Because I want to wait till I get married. All my other boyfriends did." He arched an eyebrow at her then pulled her to him a bit more firmly; still mindful of how fragile she was compared to his inhuman strength. Another gasp accompanied the action.

"Key word there is 'boy'. Do you think I'm some 'boy'?" There was no mistaking the playful tone of his voice and Lina blushed scarlet.

"No…" Vlad let his breath ghost over her ear. Her whole body shivered and her fingers flexed against his shoulders.

"No what?" Her eye fluttered closed and she worried her lip.

"You are definitely not a boy." He chuckled against her ear, enjoying the response he was drawing from her, feeling her skin heating up and the way her breathing subconsciously changed to keep her breasts pressing against his chest. "But I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't before marriage. And believe me, I want…especially with you, but I just can't." To respond Alucard gave her lips another kiss, his hand gently resting on the back of her neck to keep her still while his lips made a point of reassuring her. In the back of his mind however he thought. 'You being a virgin will make this much easier. I won't have to worry about mistakes.'

"And I would not dream of rushing you." Staring at each other it was an awkward silence, Lina feeling torn as he held her there and Alucard waiting for her to say anything.

"Thank you." The feel of her kissing his lips nearly made him crush her, but he held himself in check. He had to let her control this one, let her learn what she liked better. Eyes sliding shut as she tilted her head to the right and her arms snaking around his shoulders. Everything about this kiss was sweet, timid and full of curiosity and slowly she pulled away and was panting just a bit. Running his fingers softly over her cheek and through her hair Vlad let their attention return to the stars. He told her the stories of the constellations, and she made points of correcting him when she felt he was wrong or was missing parts. They peacefully passed the time conversing of random things along the lines of miscellaneous truths. Alucard felt an unfamiliar aura coming at them quickly, realizing that it was at least five separate entities. Lina started to tense up in his hold and turned to look towards the north. "Vlad…We should go, it's getting really late." He detected the worry in her voice and it hit him that she could feel the energy that was approaching them. He stood while taking care to not panic her.

"I need to take you back home. Now." She got to her feet, helping him pack up their 'picnic'. They were to slow and the encroachers had them surrounded. The four circled out of Lina's range of sight, but the leader stopped no more than ten feet from Vlad and Lina. Vlad moved himself to block Lina from the view of the leader; a clear sign of ownership that he knew the werewolves would understand. The pack leader was average height and build, but when they transformed it didn't matter their human size. Dirty blonde hair paired with blue eyes and boyish good looks disguised the snarling wolf. He gave Alucard an innocent enough grin and stepped to the side where Lina was partly visible.

"Hey there babe, long time now see. How you been?" Lina moved closer to Vlad, not daring to lose eye contact with Sean.

"Sean…just leave me alone." Alucard had to give her credit. Lina's voice sounded annoyed, but her scent was full of fear. Sean's grin slowly turned malicious as he easily caught her scent, recognizing that she smelt way to much of this prick and was even wearing the strangers coat.

"You see sugar, I can't quite do that. As far as you are concerned, you are mine. I'm willing to forgive you this once for being a horny little bitch and locking lips with this stiff. That is after I rip his fucking dick off and put you in your fucking place. If you beg me enough I may just use his blood to lube you up." Sean let out a harsh, cruel laugh that Lina flinched from, a whimper escaping her throat. Vlad clenched his fists and bearing his teeth, wanting nothing more then to rip this arrogant piece of shit to tiny little shreds.

"This Stiff thinks you and your rag tag group of mange ridden wolves should leave before I put you in your place." Both Lina and Sean shivered at the deadly tone in Alucard's voice. It was soft spoken but full of menace. Sean involuntarily took a step back, shocked at the aura that he was suddenly feeling from the tall man.

"Look, just hand my bitch over and we won't have any more beef." Vlad took a step forward, and Sean took one back. Vlad easily forced himself into the werewolf's mind.

 _'First you worthless mongrel, you are never to call what is mine your own. Second, you will not call her bitch unless you are offering yourself up as mine. Now put your tails between your legs and leave.'_ Sean gulped, but his ego would not allow him to back down. He bared his teeth and growled at Alucard.

Chapter End.


	9. Doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the exciting continuation of chapter eight. Will Lina and Vlad survive being surrounded by a group of werewolves? Will Lina discover that the man she is dating is the real Dracula? And Integra will ever sing karaoke? We'll find out in…

"Who the fuck do you think you are you piece of shit?" The other werewolves slowly started to circle in on them. Lina crept closer to Vlad's form, her heart beating faster and her head swimming from the adrenaline rush. Her breathing sped up and her whole body felt the need to run. Vlad had to keep himself from growling back or releasing any more of his aura, not needing to terrify Lina anymore then she already was. Alucard kind of hoped Lina would pass out so he could rip these pitiful excuses for werewolves apart without worrying about scarring her for life.

"Maybe if you ask me with respect I'll give you the rare honor of my name." _'Otherwise you can call me your worst nightmare.'_ Another shiver went through Sean, but he bravely took a step closer.

"I have a better idea, how about my boys here hold you down, and you can watch me fuck little miss cock tease over here then pass her around before I kick the both of you over the cliff." How Vlad wished he had his sword, or better yet, if he only had five pikes.

"You'll have to drag me back from the bottom of the fucking ocean before you ever get to touch me!" Both men's attention returned to the small woman who was suddenly flushed with anger. "Sean! This shit is exactly why I dumped you! You think you are god's gift to women, well guess what asshole! You suck! You can't just claim me as property, I'm a human being, alive and with a lot bigger goals than being your breeder! In fact, if you were such a great fucking guy you would have gotten one of those anorexic, plastic Barbie doll look-a-likes! But even those idiots saw what a waste of space you were! You scared off all of those and I was the only girl that doesn't have enough experience to see that I was getting the reject!" During the rant Lina's voice had gotten exponentially louder to the point where Vlad was sure glass would start to crack. She was panting with anger and glaring, her hands clenched into fists and shaking just a bit. The werewolves winced at the volume, and Vlad could see just how much Lina was getting under Sean's skin, even more then he had managed. Sean was growling and shifting from foot to foot, his ego wounded. Vlad put himself between the two of them fully again, knowing that Sean would charge Lina. The next thirty seconds passed by like hours when the sound of a police siren rang out through the country side, the other wolves looking to Sean for their order. Sean let out a frustrated howl but started to back away slowly as sirens and the flashing lights of squad cars came closer. He made eye contact with Lina.

"Don't think you can hide from me, I know where you live. I know where your family and friends are, I know everything about you. I was going to give you one last chance to rethink my offer, but now I want to make you suffer." He turned to meet eyes with Alucard, growling as menacingly as possible. "And as for you, I will have your fucking head." With that the werewolves dashed off, fading into the darkness and traveling in different directions. Vlad's whole body was tensed up with his desire to hunt down and slaughter the impudent little prick and his pack. He didn't bother to turn in the direction of the Hellsing squad vans. Troops hopped out of the back and he could already hear Sir Integra yelling at the men and Seras for having lost visual of Lina when he had taken them out of town. Boy was Sir Integra in for a surprise when she saw that he was there. He put his arms up to show he was not resisting when the troops swarmed around the two of them, Lina being pulled away by the masked soldier towards one of the trucks. She tried to inform the soldiers that Vlad wasn't a threat.

"Lina, let them do their job, I'll be fine, don't worry." He gave her a smirk. Nodding Lina let the soldier lead her away towards a frantic Seras. Seras was wringing her hands and running her hands through her hair. Once Seras saw Lina she dashed over and quickly shooed the soldier away before dragging Lina the rest of the way to the Military truck. Lina tried to glean answers from Seras but only met dismissal and was cornered by an obvious field medic.

"Step inside the truck and remove your clothes." Lina's eyes grew to the size of quarters, her arms crossing defensively over her body.

"Excuse me." Seras pushed her into the truck, letting the medic enter before shutting the doors.

"Just do as you are told." Lina glared at Seras then the male medic but decided she would just pick this bone with Director Wingates.

\------------------

Sir Integra was fuming. She had been informed a few hours ago that the observation team had lost visual of Miss Khayam while in the company of an unknown male on a motorcycle and it looked like she was frightened. When she had berated them on their incompetence she had ordered that the house be searched for signs of forced entry or of struggle. The troops had told her that Lina's room was a mess and that no one else was home. A note was found written in what looked like a hasty manner directed to Seras, telling that she had left and that Seras didn't need to worry. When she had asked Seras she had no knowledge of where Lina could have gone to. That had sent them on full alert. Thankfully they had tracked the motorcycle's path to this spot. Pulling out her cigar box Integra nearly shouted as she found that it was empty, growling a bit but calming herself down so she would not explode. Taking a deep breath Integra composed herself and walked towards the circle of troops and the suspect. Drawing closer she grew nauseous when she started to recognize the 'unknown male'. He turned to look at her and it was confirmed, the man they had just arrested was Alucard. _'God...have I done something to deserve this?'_ She could hear him grinning from twenty feet away and she earnestly wished he was susceptible to silver bullets. She waved the troops to back away so she could talk privately with the bane of her existence, but to stay on guard. He was unpredictable, and that was the pleasant thing about him.

"Alucard, what on earth are you doing out here?" He shrugged, bringing his handcuffed arms foreword before slipping out of the riot cuffs.

"Well, I had the displeasure of meeting the leader of the werewolf pack that's after Lina." Integra flipped her mind directly into business mode mixed with her sarcastic humor.

"Sean Thorndale. He was just here and you let the werewolf get away. You must be slipping Alucard. Can you at least tell me which direction he left in?" The grin on his face grew wider instead of falling like that comment would have normally have caused it to.

"I couldn't take any action to apprehend the pathetic mongrel out of concern of leaving Lina open to assault by the other members of his pack. They scampered off in five different directions, so even if I did tell you it would not produce results." Integra's eyes narrowed as something in his statement sounded out of place. And apprehend her arse! If Alucard could have it his way there would be bodies parts strung from the trees, drained of blood and other horrifying displays of brutality.

"Fine. Can you at least tell me if she was harmed when you arrived on scene?" He looked at Integra, waiting for her to piece it together while laughing to himself.

"Lina and I are completely unscathed, physically a least. As far as her mental state I have no idea how she is handling it. Once she is out of her adrenaline rush it should be easier to determine."

"It was a lucky break for Miss Khayam for you to be here, but why did you protect her Alucard?" Was Integra really this thick skulled, or was she trying to avoid piecing the puzzle together. He would place bets on some combination of the two.

"I understand that in this day and age men have killed the code of chivalry, but I still think a man should protect a woman, especially if he is courting her." Whatever Integra had expected that was nowhere near the response that Alucard would give.

"What the bloody hell does that mean? You saved her because she's a woman, and the comment about courting? Alucard did you drink someone on something?" Vlad couldn't stop the chuckle that slipped out.

"Director Wingates. Can you please get your medical staff a refresher course on the difference between examining and just groping someone." Lina came marching up the hill towards them, wrapping the black trench coat around herself in a fluster. The two turned to watch her approach them, Lina was swerving towards Alucard and the protection she felt with him when Seras cut her off. "Move it! Or I will move you Seras." Seras didn't budge.

"Officer Victoria, stand down." Integra was not in the mood for any more of Seras's mistakes or the hassles she created.

"But Sir H-" Integra's eyes widened as she realized that Seras was about to blurt out her last name.

"I said stand down Officer Victoria!" Seras bit her lip, obeying commands and letting Lina pass.

"Director Wingates, I can explain everything. We must have lost the security detail driving out here an-" Integra put up her hand to silence Lina, bringing her hand to rub her temples, desperate for nicotine.

"Miss Khayam, are you and this man dating?" The obvious disdain in Integra's voice made Lina wonder if Vlad and Integra knew each other.

"Yeah….we are dating, have been for the past month. Didn't Seras tell you?"

\--------------------

Walter came back into Sir Integra's office with a tray of tea and two Advil for her migraine. It was strange to see Alucard standing in that office again with Seras while Sir Hellsing yelled at the fledgling. He had been smart enough to put a case file together on Alucard and Lina's relationship, which safeguarded him from the brunt of her tirade. Seras had been humiliated, privileges revoked along with being pulled off the security detail of the Khayam case. He thought Seras would start crying at certain points, pitying the poor girl, but not nearly enough to suffer a tongue lashing himself from Integra. Finally Integra dismissed Seras who left with her head hung low. Alucard stood there calmly, seemingly not caring in the slightest what happened to his former fledgling. Walter stood at the other end of the desk, watching the vampire carefully.

"Aluca-"

"Vlad." Integra rolled her eyes, popping her Advil down and washing it down with some tea.

"Fine. Vlad, would you please tell me why you are dating Miss Khayam." The vampire shrugged his shoulders.

"I am courting Lina for my own reasons." The use of Miss Khayam's nick name from 'Vlad' annoyed Integra.

"Well as helpful as that statement was, would you mind elaborating." Walter had to admit that Sir Hellsing was controlling her temper exceptionally well.

"She interests me. Her company is…engaging." Integra snorted in disbelief.

"Oh please, she is engaging to the point where I become thankful that America is no longer a British colony. Are you doing this to simply annoy me? If so there are less elaborate ways to go about it Vlad. May I suggest shooting yourself once a week?"

"I would appreciate that you refrain from insulting her and myself. Besides I annoy you by existing, and Seras is doing as splendid job at replacing me here in your manor. I am not collecting brides, if that is your concern. There is no desire for that many headaches. I am no longer the miserable creature that Abraham met." Integra had nothing to say to his calm speech, thrown by the sincerity and self reproach in his voice. "Are you going to tell her?" Vlad sounded slightly hesitant, locking eyes with Integra.

"As far as Hellsing is concerned, I'm supposed to keep your existence hidden. Telling her that you are a vampire is in direct conflict with that. Besides…you are the one lying, it might be more entertaining watching you try and keep her from figuring it out." A smirk slide over Vlad's face as his eyebrow arched.

"So you want to watch me go down in flames with this relationship?" Integra let a smirk slide across her lips.

"No, just fantasizing about you being on fire. Could care less about the relationship." His grin grew wider.

"Well, I'll see what I can do about that. But in the meantime I would be grateful if you pushed this paperwork through so I can start rejoining society." Vlad pulled out a stack of papers from somewhere in his coat and laid them upon her desk. "Now if you excuse me, I should escort Lina home. She has been worrying in the library for the past two hours. Goodnight Sir Integra, Walter. I know the way out." The vampire strolled out of the office, leaving the two humans alone.

"Do you believe him Sir?" Integra let out a short laugh and picked up the paperwork Vlad had set on her desk, glancing over it.

"Walter, I would normally say no. But something is different, he protected her, he was worried about scaring her, and he hasn't fed from a live source since this case started. What is troubling me is why this is different." Walter nodded. "Walter, do you know where Van Helsing's journals are?"

"No Sir Integra, those journals where hidden when your great grandfather passed on." Integra looked up at the portraits on the wall, a determined glint in her eyes.

"You are dismissed Walter. I need some time alone." Walter bowed before leaving Integra alone in her office, the wide open space empty with the fluorescent lights glaring off the title floors. Standing from her chair Integra walked over to the wall of portraits, studying them as if expecting them to give her an answer. Her gloved hand ghosted over the name engraved on the frame of her great grandfather's painting. "What is that vampire up to?" When no answer was forthcoming Integra felt her lips tighten in determination. Leaving her office behind she traveled down the halls of Hellsing till she arrived at Abraham's study, a room left untouched aside from dusting since he passed on. Light from the hallway cast just enough illumination to show that there were books still laying out on the desk, opened to pages and pieces of paper that were only half done. Integra felt along the wall to flip the light switch but finding none. _'Great, the one room in headquarters that has not been upgraded for electricity. Even the bloody dungeons have electric lights.'_ A clock struck one in the morning, Integra feeling her eyes grow heavy. _'I will tackle this in the morning.'_

\---------------------

August 21….5:17 a.m. …Vance residence

Vlad carried Lina up to her bedroom, thankful that she had fallen asleep on the long ride back from Hellsing. It was almost dawn and he was starting to feel tired. Once there he set her down on the bed, the small movement waking her. She smiled at him in a drowsy way as she laid her head on his shoulder. He gave her a smirk back, telling her to get ready for sleep. Nodding Lina removed her shoes and socks, getting up from the bed to drop the socks into the hamper before moving into the bathroom. He listened as the sink turned on, rolling his neck to try and work out the kink in it. Vlad realized suddenly that he was in her room for the first time, becoming more aware and studying it. He saw random items such as paperwork, jewelry, lotions, and figurines. He saw the posters of music artists; movies and one that made him shake his head. It was a collection of vampire fiction, comics and movies. Lina came from the bathroom, the makeup gone and in a black nightgown. A lump of clothes were put in the hamper before she came back to the bed. He moved to leave when Lina put her hand on his arm.

"Vlad…..Do you have to go? I don't want to be alone right now. Please, I want you to stay." He sat there quietly for a moment before he removed his shoes and started to remove the rest of his clothes, staying in his boxers. She blushed and he expected her to change her mind but he was surprised when she pulled the covers back and crawled in, leaving the blankets for him. He lay down and pulled the covers up, finding the bed a tad uncomfortable since his legs were dangling off the end. Lina giggled at bit and scooted closer to him, a sheet between their bodies. "You okay there?" He quickly changed their positions, with his body stretched out diagonally on the bed so he fit better while curling a bit. Lina was spooned against his chest, her back to him while his arm was draped over her waist and his chin on her forehead.

"Perfectly at peace my dear. Now sleep." He closed his eyes, his mind calmed down and the restless buzzing that normally kept him up for days, even weeks at a time was gone. As sleep started to creep in he felt Lina squirming to get comfortable.

Chapter End.


	10. Who are you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry if you get confused at the end of the chapter, you are supposed to be. It's a plot point I explain later. Aside from that, please enjoy!

August 21….1:30 p.m. …..Vance Residence

This was so lovely. It was warm but not overly so. Lina didn't remember when her pillow had started to smell of earth, smoke and musk or feel solid but she was not going to complain. Her head nuzzled closer to her pillow and the rest of her body curled closer, a small smile crossing her lips when the blankets pulled her closer. _'Wait…blankets don't feel like arms…'_ Lina pulled away from her haven only to feel the arms tighten a bit and a deep chuckle from the chest she had used as a pillow. Lifting her head she was met with Vlad smiling down at her, his eyes still half drawn with sleep.

"Morning." Lina realized he wasn't wearing a shirt and that she had been nuzzling into the crook of his neck. "Did you sleep well?" Vlad's voice was rougher, deeper then usual, making Lina's blood heat up a bit and he chuckled again, enjoying the effect he had on her without even needing his powers. She gave him a nod. "Has anyone ever told you that you are adorable when you sleep?" He watched her blush deepen and let his fingers play in her hair. Lina was so shaken by the comment that she couldn't respond for a few moments.

"No, but thank you. I hope I didn't bother you, I have a bad habit of moving a lot in my sleep." Vlad shook his head while untangling himself from her and the sheets that she had wrapped around them.

"I am a deep sleeper. It takes more then you tossing and turning to wake me." Lina turned away as Vlad stood up, expecting him to put his clothes back on only to see him walk in front of her. "Suddenly having issues are we?" His voice was teasing.

"I was too tired to care last night." He leaned in closer, his muscular arms caging her against the mattress. He gave her a cat like grin.

"Then find a reason to not care now." Lina gulped a bit, her cheeks bright red and the color traveling down her neck.

"Do I have any options?" She squeaked out in a timid tone. He looked up at the ceiling with an exaggerated look of concentration on his face.

"I can put on my clothes then leave. Or I stay like this, and we can enjoy each other's company." She gave him a glare.

"How about you stay, but put a shirt on and some pants." Vlad smirked but released her from the bed.

"Agreed." Lina got out from under him, going to her drawers while he lay back on the bed, closing his eyes to draw out the last few drops of sleep he was going to get for the day. When he opened his eyes again Lina was in shorts with a purple tank top, her hair pulled into a ponytail. Slowly he sat up, his long legs stretched out before him and he easily caught his white collared shirt that Lina tossed at the back of his head. Slipping his arms in Vlad stood up and found his pants, not bothering to button the shirt up as Lina came up and did it for him.

All the guys were eating cereal, joking around with each other. They were picking on Steve since he had actually come home an hour ago, knowing that the girl he had left with was definitely not the ten Steve had thought she was last night. Steve was nursing his hang over while trying to put up with the taunting. Lina came into the kitchen, a blush and a smile on her face. They all gave her a good morning before informing her of Steve's exploit. She paid them only half attention while she raided the fridge and pulled out food and tossed in onto a plate before microwaving it.

"No breakfast, straight for the lunch foods." Seth gave her hair a playful tug.

"I am not that big a fan of breakfast, hell I am not a fan of mornings either." Lina poured a glass of water to go with her brunch. The guys continued to talk till Vlad sauntered into the room, silence falling and all four men watching as the Vlad came up behind Lina and played with her hair. Lina turned around and gave Vlad a smile and asked him if he was hungry. He said no then sat extremely close to her at the counter where the guys now stared at the two. Lina looked up and realized that she hadn't introduced Vlad. "Oh so sorry guys. This is Vlad….Vlad Vladimirescu. Vlad, these are my roommates and friends. Matt, Seth, Kyle, and Steve." She pointed to each one in turn and then started to nibble on her food. Vlad stretched out his hand to shake each of their hands, feeling their shock and disbelief at what they were seeing. All six people sat silently for an unknown amount of time, Lina eating a bit before huffing. "I didn't have sex with him if that's what you guys are thinking. He spent the night in my room after we got dragged to Director Wingates office last night. So please stop acting like we are lepers." Steve was glaring at Vlad.

"It's just a shock. You don't mention having a boyfriend then one day you waltz in with him from your room. And think we should just be okay with him in our house." Seth slapped Steve and Kyle on the back on the head. Kyle looked at Seth with a glare.

"What was that for? I didn't say a bloody word." Seth shrugged as he started to eat his cereal.

"For good measure." Matt grabbed Kyle's wrist and shot Steve a look.

"Look, we have to get ready for work in a few hours." Matt patted Lina on the shoulder before putting his dish in the sink. "Lina next time you should at least give us a heads up, remember, you live here but it's still my home, I'll let it go this time."

"I must apologize on her behalf. It was dawn by the time we arrived. We were accosted by some rather dangerous men and it left her feeling distressed. I mean no disrespect to your home." Matt nodded, accepting the apology, the other guys following Matt out of the kitchen.

"That was as much fun as having my wisdom teeth pulled." Lina sounded less chipper, the smile from earlier gone now. Vlad brushed a stray hair from her face and gave her a smile.

"Do you want me to go?" She shook her head.

"No…I am just thinking about you and me. We've been dating for the past month, but you don't really know me, I don't really know you. Then I let you sleep in my bed last night after my ex delivered a threat upon your life" He could hear the anguish in her voice."Congratulations, that's the farthest any guy has ever gone with me." She put her head in her hands and looked like she was digging them into her forehead.

"You want to talk." Vlad took a seat a bit farther from her, so they could see each other with more ease.

"Can you start? I don't know where to begin." Vlad yawned at bit, quick to stop so his fangs wouldn't catch the light.

"We could start at the beginning. What happened between you and this annoyance?" Lina sighed, not really wanting to explain it all over again.

"I was new to college, and I joined a club so I could make some friends. Sean was the club president and seemed like a really nice guy. He helped me get the ropes of how things worked at campus and a couple off campus things too. Eventually he asked me if I wanted to date him, I said yes. The next thing I know is that he became this really possessive creep. Kept telling me that I couldn't be around other guys, including his friends. He would insult the way I dressed, complained that I wasn't doing enough for the relationship. Then after a a few months I told him I wanted to break up but he just dug his claws in deeper, he…" Vlad could sense the waves of emotion this next part held for her. Reaching out he lightly touched the back of her hand, making Lina look up into his eyes again. Taking a deep breath Lina bite her lip. "He threatened my family and friends if I didn't stay with him, and that's when he started to…"

"Lina, what did he do to you?" Vlad felt his temper flaring at the way she was reacting to her memories.

"He started to get violent. First it was just pushing me, and then he progressed to slapping me, gripping my arms enough to leave bruises. He told me that I needed to fulfill my duties as his mate and have sex with him. I kept appeasing him in other ways, like I would cook a lot for him. But after another months he didn't want to wait anymore and he grabbed me by the throat, slammed me against a wall then told me I had to either become his mate or…well you heard him." He nodded, not wanting to interrupt her. "I was so scared, but thankfully a witness called the police and it got a restraining order on him. Then I moved here. I honestly never would have thought myself to be one of those girls that would stay in an abusive relationship but I just didn't know how to get out." Vlad rubbed her back a tiny bit to reassure her.

"You seem stronger and smarter from the experience." He leaned in a brushed his lips across her forehead. He could feel Lina shift in her chair then pulled back, giving her a grin. A small grin mirrored itself on her lips.

"So you tell me something meaningful about you." He sat back in the chair, searching his mind for what to say. There were so many things he could tell her, so many things he should tell her, too many things he wanted to tell her.

"I am trying to merge back into society after a long time in a line of work that required me to be off grid. I am also planning to pursue my hobbies….." He paused, feeling the deluge of thoughts and words rushing forth to be spoken. "Perhaps you should ask me, help direct my discourse." He heard the small huff from her.

"Seems you and I have the same problem about having too much to say." He nodded in agreement, watching as Lina took a bite of chicken and rice. She chewed it, favoring her right side while her nails lightly tapped the counter, the small clinks sounding out in his ears. "Why did you quit your job?"

"I didn't quit, I simply left. The contract with my employer expired and they haven't renewed it yet." Lina took another bite, looking between him, her plate, and then the hallway behind him.

"What did you do that would use a contract? Are you a mercenary or something?" She said it in jest and he gave a small chortle as well.

"In a way yes, you could say I'm a soldier of fortune." Lina's smile gave a hint of nervousness. She was worried that he was a mafia hit man now. _'Great, from one killer to another.'_

"Who did you work for?" Vlad could hear the rant going on in Lina's mind about all the possible issues dating a hit man would bring. He wanted to quickly put those thoughts to rest. Lina already knew that he knew Integra, besides, the smaller the lies, the easier it would be to keep up with them.

"Director Wingates." Coughing, Lina managed to swallow the food in her mouth and looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Excuse me….You worked for Director Wingates; the woman that runs the monster hunting organization that I am currently being watched by. The woman that thinks I'm an idiot and that I am a pain up her blue blood ass. That woman was your former boss." Lina seemed to get agitated as she spoke, leaning closer to him with a twitching muscle above her eye.

"Yes…that woman was my employer." Lina looked away from him and finished her food in silence, getting up and washing the dishes, not saying a word or even so much as looking at him. Vlad was a bit confused as to the sudden change in Lina's demeanor. Her shoulders were squared, her back straight and movements methodical as she washed her dish. He followed her to the sink. "Lina, why are you suddenly upset?" Still no response, she just dried the dish and put it away. "Are you upset about the fact I worked for Director Wingates?" She turned on the ball of her foot and stood on her toes, an angry glint in her eyes hiding the hurt as she tried to look intimidating.

"Yes! How do I know that you aren't dating me because you've been assigned to watch me?! This calls our whole relationship into question!" Vlad reached out to touch her only to pull his hand back when she slapped them away.

"I haven't worked for Director Wingates for months Lina. And believe me, you and I dating is the absolute last thing Integra wants. She would prefer that I be incinerated to a pile of ash then scattered in the most degrading places one could possibly image. Besides, if I was working for her why would she have sent so many troops to find you? She wouldn't have wasted the manpower if she had assigned me to protect you because she knows I am the best there is. Integra did bring me your case file and asked me to look it over, see what insight I had to give where I told her she was hunting werewolves. That was the extent of my involvement with your case till last night." Vlad could hear his own voice growing agitated at the glare she kept giving him. Silently they stared each other down, her eyes searching his and his boring into hers to make her see that he wasn't lying. Her hazel eyes looked green as he stared into them, keeping control over his own to prevent them from turning red.

"So you already knew that I was having problems with werewolves, that I would be under surveillance 24/7 by your ex-boss's troops, and then decided that you wanted to try and meet me anyway." Vlad nodded, not sure what to expect from her. In the month he had dated her Vlad had quickly learned that she was much too chaotic a mind to follow, and even her reactions where sporadic. That was why he had not lost interest in her; he had to keep guessing when it came to her. Letting out a long, drawn out breath Lina closed her eyes, dropping back onto her heels and her shoulders relaxing. He felt the sudden change in her energy again. "Why?" Her eyes were chocolate brown again as she eyed him with curiosity. Vlad shrugged his shoulders and leaned his hip against the counter.

"I felt drawn to you." Her eyes seemed to flash with mirth but it was so quick Vlad wasn't sure it had been there. A smile crossed her lips and she hugged him. Awkwardly he returned the hug, seeing her give him a goofy grin from half way down his chest. "Would I be correct in assuming that you are no longer displeased with me?"

"Maybe."

\------------------

Hellsing Headquarters…

The air in the room was stale, despite the fact that Integra had opened the windows. The heavy drapes had been pulled back and the windows opened, the room flooded with natural light. Integra had pulled her hair into a ponytail and had cleared her schedule of social engagements for the week so she could devote her full attentions to the search for Abraham's journals. She had spent half the morning just checking over the loose sheets of paper that were left around the room. It was eerie, and half the morning Integra had expected to see Abraham stroll into the room and begin where he had left off. She had taken the time to glance over the hand scribbled notes, marveling at the attention to even the most insignificant details. Had she not been in pursuit of the journals she would have taken the time to thoroughly study each word. A knock on the door startled Integra.

"Lunch is ready Sir Integra." It was one of the other staff. Walter was currently using one of his sick days to avoid her. A wise move on his part since her temper was still smoldering after yesterday's debacle. Walking over to the heavy oak doors she opened them took the tray then closed the door again. She ate the sandwich in silence while reading the titles of the books crammed along the walls.

"This is going to be a long process."

Hellsing Dungeons…

Seras lay in her coffin, unable to sleep. She wished she had told Lina the truth about Alucard a while ago, back when she had first found out. Now Lina was dating Alucard without any real protection from him. She was not about to trust her master, after all look what had happened to her. Seras knew now that Alucard could very easily have avoided having to shoot her to kill the vampire. He had done it simply to amuse himself. Now she was stuck as an undead with no respect from anyone, forced to be treated like a dog. There was a bitter taste in the back of her mouth at the thought. What did she do to deserve this life? Was god just some cruel bastard that thought it would be funny to torture her while making her watch others live perfectly happy lives. Her parents had been slaughtered, her mother's corpse raped while she hid and had to listen and then she had been shoved off into the orphanage. The police force had been the closest thing she had to a family and all of them had been killed by the vampire. Then there was this whole fiasco that she was in now. With a groan the coffin was opened, Seras getting up and pacing slowly around her room. Bare feet beet against the cold cement floor, the room pitch black except for the small electric lamp in the far corner on top of the desk. Her eyes were glowing a bit. The longer Seras paced the more she felt bitterness growing in her chest. Seras passed by the mirror in her room and looked up at herself, noticing that her reflection was fading, leaving her looking like a misty form of herself. With a gasp she drew back, sighing in relief as her reflection grew more solid. With a shiver Seras shook off the negative thoughts in her mind and focused on getting a good day's sleep.

\-------------------

August 27…10:00 p.m. …Vance Residence

Lina was sitting at the kitchen counter with a book open and music playing from her laptop next to her. The pages were marked up in different colors of highlighter and there was a typed page of notes on her computer screen. Wearing a purple tank top and black gym shorts Lina was getting ready to call it a night with studying and relax. The microwave went off with an electronic ping, signaling that dinner was ready. The boys had already left for the night, leaving Lina alone in the three story house on a Wednesday night after six hours of classes. Seras was no longer on the case so that left Lina isolated in the home, depending on the troops stationed around the neighborhood to keep her safe. Not that Lina was all that worried; she had slowly been improving her protection against Sean and his lackeys. All the lights were on downstairs and in the hallways of the other two stories, giving her just a bit more comfort. Her left index, thumb and middle finger reached up to caress over the pendent of her necklace as one does a worry stone. Getting up Lina collected her microwaved pizza and the small bowl of mac & cheese, sitting down to eat while changing to a playlist of soft songs. The first song was Enigma's Gregorian chant. While nibbling on her meal Lina heard a creak from somewhere in the house, the noise setting her on high alert. The hairs on the back of her neck were on end and goose bumps were appearing on her arms, the house feeling different in that split second. From comfortably empty to dauntingly vacant.

'Calm down Lina. You're just hearing house noises, nothing to panic about.' She was trying to convince herself. There was another, barely indiscernible creek from the floorboards, this one closer to her. 'I'm going to DIE! Panic! Panic!' She closed her eyes and tensed up in her chair, her left hand going to her necklace and grasping the pendent tightly as she started to say her prayers. As Lina started to shut down mentally another voice spoke up in her mind.

'Oh for the love of fuck! Move over! I am not going to let you get us all killed!' Lina sat up straight in her chair, her hand gone from her neck and with unusual speed she had a large knife from the kitchen and her eyes were in a hard glare. The color of her eyes went from their soft brown to a cold, pale green. Armed with the deadly knife she moved to the wall and carefully moved along it. Her bare feet made little sound as she moved, walking on the balls of her feet. Searching the first floor she found nothing, copying the search she moved through all three floors, a sigh of relief as she found nothing but yet a sense of agitation as her energy was not burned off. Stomping back into the kitchen she closed her book, shoving it away in her backpack and then sitting down and eating the rest of her meal, her foot tapping against the island counter. She sat there, the knife still gripped in her hand loosely, spinning the handle in the palm of her hand, watching as the blade reflected the light as it was turned.

"Damn it. What a fucking disappointment." Her voice sounded more seductive, more mature then a nineteen year olds voice should have. "I can't stand this… I'm absolutely bored out of my mind. Where is Vlad when I want him. At least I could have some fun with that man. Maybe go for a ride on his bike… or I could just ride him. Either way my thighs would be sore in the morning." There was a perverse chuckle from deep in her throat.

"But then again I don't think that would be a good idea I am nowhere near ready for sex." The knife stopped spinning, the blade reflecting Lina's face as she spoke, her voice back to its normal pitch. "Besides, I want to be married first. I want my husband to know that he is my one and only. That he's not getting sloppy seconds." The reflection rolled its eyes as her voice changed to the matured one.

"I was just joking Lina. It's your life; I'm not going to interfere…too much. Just make sure you are open to our opinions and knowledge. No sense on making the same mistakes more than once. We are all here to help you to not fuck up…badly." Lina raised an eyebrow at her reflection.

"So who do I blame for Sean?" There was a pause and a shrug of her shoulders.

"That was just poor judgment all around."

"At least we are in this together." A smile and a nod were the answer Lina received.

Chapter End.


	11. Kill It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before the chapter starts I just have to state that what I write is only reflective of how I feel and have experienced, and I in no way claim that any of it is true for everyone or everything. Everyone's experience with magic and faith is their own.

September 3… 10:30 a.m.….London City

Melancholic clouds hung oppressively in the morning air, casting London into a grey light where time only passed if one watched the ticking hands of the clock. The city was still bustling with activity as tourists wandered the streets and others tried to enjoy a Wednesday off work or without classes. In a shadier part of London city a tall man walked out of a store where the dingy windows acted as a filter for the particulars housed within. His black hair was smoothed back against his head, glasses blocking the view of his eyes and the black coat concealing the rest of his apparel aside from the black leather boots. A soft electronic humming came from the recess of a pocket, a pallid hand going to retrieve the device of modern technology that the owner had quickly adjusted to. With the soft tap of a finger over a green button the hand brought the cell phone to the owners' ear where a young female voice assaulted his ears in what he interpreted as anxiety.

"Vlad!" Vlad pulled the phone away from his ear as Lina shouted into the phone, his ears ringing a bit. "Thank god you answered. Good to know you are able to use your phone, but that's not what I am calling you about. I am so sorry to do this to you, but I need you to do me a massive favor. If you can of course, if not I need to call someone else. Can you?" Ducking down an adjunct alleyway, Vlad made his way towards his motorcycle.

"Perhaps if I knew what this favor you desire me to accomplish is I would be better able to answer your inquiry." He could practically picture Lina lugging around the monstrous bag of hers between her classes with a pissed expression on her face at his answer. The image brought a grin to his lips, knowing how her cheeks would be flushed and her left eyebrow would twitch if he made her mad enough.

"Sorry, that would be helpful to the both of us wouldn't it?" She sounded like she was more distracted than angered. "Do you know anything about butchery?" That question made him stop in his tracks. What favor did she need with that as prerequisite?

"To some extent, I have no formal training. Do you need me to get rid of a body for you?" He kept his tone light and joking. There was a pause on her end of the line in which he couldn't hear anything aside from the electric static.

"Yea, I need to make some meat pies Mister Todd." Her voice took on a heavy cockney accent as she finished the sentence. "Be at my house around one o' clock. I'll have everything ready hopefully. Don't wear anything you'll lament getting bloody. Thanks so much Vlad, this means a lot to me." With that she blew him a kiss over the phone and hung up.

"I never actually agreed to helping." He was a tad annoyed with how she had evaded giving him any direct answers but he would rather be involved with whatever she was planning then letting her get into massive trouble alone. Slipping his cell phone back into its place he emerged from the alleyway and walked along the street, being given a wide pathway by the other pedestrians.

\----------------------

Hellsing Headquarters…..11:30 a.m.

Walter quickly moved through the halls of the mansion, finding Sir Hellsing once more in Abraham's study. With truly organized fashion she had started on the left side, meticulously scanning each book regardless of title. He knocked on the door to gain her attention.

"What is it Walter?" He held out a small stack of files.

"Sir Integra, the paperwork regarding Carfax was approved. The Swiss Bank account for Alucard has been set up but is on hold. All that remains is his identity papers for final approval by the Round Table and Her Majesty. There is to be a meeting next week of the twelve at Sir Islands estate where it will be discussed. Section thirteen wants to meet so they can discuss the border in Ireland. The police have sent over some information that might help us in the Khayam Case. There is a possible vampire in the countryside near Canterbury; our presence is requested within the next two days. And the last one is next month's budget for your approval. Also your lunch will be ready in an hour."

"Leave the report, budget, and Alucard's paperwork on my desk and see to it that my schedule is clear for the meeting next week. Tell the troops and Private Victoria to get ready to move out this afternoon for Canterbury. And make sure to push the meeting with the bloody Vatican as far as possible." He smirked.

"I'll set it for February 29." She nodded in agreement.

"Perfect." He looked around the room, seeing the numerous tomes.

"Do you require any assistance Sir?" Integra shook her head.

"No thank you Walter. I prefer to do this myself. You are excused." He bowed respectfully.

"Yes Sir." He placed a fresh pitcher of water on the side table before leaving to carry out her orders. The number of troops was paltry compared to what it had been two years ago. The Valentine brothers attack had wiped them out then the incident at the Queen's tower had cast an extremely negative light on the organization and they still were unable to gather enough qualified men since the police forces fought them all the way on transfers while other branches flat out refused. And with the constant surveillance required for the Khayam case they were spreading themselves dangerously thin. They would either have to go to the Queen to sort out the matter or Hellsing could resort to alternative (although in Integra's mind drastic) means of recruitment. Quietly he had been researching mercenary companies, a few standing out above the rest. Down in the dungeons he found Seras sitting at the desk in her room gazing at a picture frame. "Miss Victoria, you've been assigned to go with the troops to Canterbury before nightfall." Without turning her head she gave him a nod, looking sullen and depressed. Walter sighed as he approached her. "Is something troubling you Seras?"

"No…just am not feeling all that chipper lately."

"Have you been eating regularly?" There was a pregnant pause where she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I haven't eaten in a while. I am not fond of the fact that I must drink blood. I probably never will get use to it."

"Seras…you made the choice. There is only one option I can give you on how to remedy your problem. Be ready to move out with the troops." He left Seras with that as he went about the rest of his duties. Seras sighed as he left, knowing he was absolutely right. Yes Alucard had turned her, but she had given him the permission. And as miserable as she was, was she ready to face the unknown of death? No, she was a coward. Cowardice had gotten her into this situation and it was keeping her here now.

"A bloody useless coward."

\---------------------------

Vance Residence….1:00 p.m.

With a rumble Vlad pulled up in front her home promptly, fluidly dismounting the bike and entering the yard where he was greeted with a solid object nearly slamming into his lower body. Un-phased by the attempted blow he quickly grasped the thing by its head, easily holding it at arm's length. Looking down he found himself confronted with a very irate ram. It was breathing heavy and bleating as its hooves tried to stomp on his legs, the rope around its neck was frayed at one end, indicating that it had broken free of its restraint. Lina came running from behind the house appearing frustrated with a rope in hand coming over to him with her eyes open in bewilderment as she approached him.

"How on earth did you catch him without getting hurt? I've been trying for like an hour and nearly got trampled." He gave her a cocky grin, while taking one hand off the horn to obtain the rope from her hand while pushing it just a bit farther back, mindful of Lina as its hind legs kicked. With his free hand he securely tied the rope around the rams' neck.

"Skill weakling, Skill." Lina rolled her eyes at him nickname for her, sticking her tongue out. He had giving it to her when she had required his help opening a packet of ketchup at a fish & chips stand last week.

"Of course, how could I forget Mr. Monster hunter." Vlad smelt the blood before he saw it, a bleeding hoof mark that cut dangerously close to her tendons. "Shit…it stings like a son of a bitch I swear." The vulgar language from her made him frown but in this case it was warranted. "Can you tie him up on the pole that's behind the house? I don't really think I can handle him right now." He saw the watery build up in her eyes that showed that she was biting back the pain as much as she could. He moved towards the back part of the all around yard, easily keeping the ram under control. With a few quick flashes of his hands the ram was secured and he was at Lina's side as she limped towards the house. She yelped as she found herself easily 4 feet off the ground in Vlad's arms. "Vlad, put me down damn it. I'm not that fragile." He didn't pay her any mind, opening the door and entering the kitchen. He plopped her down on the marble counter top of the island. An 'oomph' coming from Lina at the landing. "Hey, I don't need any more damage for today thank you very much." He took a seat on the bar stool just to the side of her as she rubbed just above the seat of her pants.

"Forgive me, I thought you weren't fragile." She crossed her arms and huffed as she turned her head, only to whimper as her ankle rudely reminded her of the injury. "What did you do this time?" He ignored the tongue she stuck out at him, pulling her left ankle closer to him for inspection as one hand smoothly removed his glasses and put them on the counter, the movement tweaking her position. It wasn't deep, but it was bleeding a lot, and the smell was intoxicating. A young woman's blood always had an effect on him; some made him sleepy, others would keep him up for days, many made him lustful, but Lina's made him feel all three plus…oddly enough for no other woman's blood had ever done it, her blood made him feel at peace. Collecting himself Vlad pulled out the first aid kit from where she kept it in the kitchen, getting to the work of tending her wound.

"It wasn't my fault Vlad; it was the stupid rams' fault. I was trying to get him and he charged me, I was lucky he only grazed my ankle." She hissed as he rubbed a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol over the wound, cleaning the blood from it.

"Just be silent and let me work weakling. You are lucky I find you entertaining." She was silent, a strange looking on her face. He was gentle in his work, quickly cleaning the wound and then wrapping the bandage around, securing it then the kit disappearing back with in the kitchen drawer.

"That's not all you think of me...is it?" Perplexed at what she was referring to he looked up from his task, seeing her chocolate brown eyes staring at him with hurt and disappointment. He had seen this look somewhere else, in a similar set of eyes, in similar circumstances that he could barely remember, a ghost from a past life coming to haunt him. "Vlad...Vlad…Vlad...are you here?" He was yanked from the path his mind had wandered back to the present where Lina sat on the counter waiting with anxiety as to why he had not answered her. Shaking his head he looked back at Lina. Her anger grew with his lack of response. "Did you hear me Vlad? Is that all you think of me, as entertainment?"

"No, you are not only entertainment." She was staring him down coldly waiting for him to say something, anything more. When he supplied none her shoulders dropped dejectedly. "So what exactly is the favor you need from me?" She looked out the kitchen window towards the ram.

"I need you to sacrifice him and then butcher the meat so I can cook it before sundown." His eyebrow rose at the word sacrifice.

"What are you sacrificing a ram for?" One of his arms went around her waist to pull her closer to him. The height difference between them lessened to only a few inches by her sitting on the counter and him on the stool.

"Does the reason matter?" Involuntarily she shuddered as he pulled her closer, not sure if it was the proximity or how cold he was.

"Possibly." His accent gave the word just a hint of severity. He rarely let his speech slip, having grown accustomed to the English language, but with her it was happening more frequently. "If you are trying to summon something from the underworld I won't help. Director Wingates would hold me responsible for it." He cracked a grin at her, flashing his fangs so quickly she wouldn't have noticed. A small sigh came from her as she just looked at him, behaving as though this was something she had told him a thousand times already.

"I am cooking part of the dinner for the mosque near by. I told them I could cook a ram for the people there at prayer tonight since it is Ramadan. The Imam said that me hand cooking a ram would be good enough since I don't have enough money to pay for a catered meal for two hundred people. A few other people that can't afford a whole dinner are also cooking ram or lamb meat so it's not going to offend if I only make one." It had been over six hundred years since he had heard those terms but they had been so entrenched in the milieu of his childhood he doubted even another six hundred years would dim their meanings.

"I didn't know you where a Muslim." The sentence held no emotion as it left his lips, but he felt a small bubble of resentment from his human life come to the surface. "Sunni or Shia?" He barely kept the loathing out of his voice as he asked.

"My family is Shia, not that they practice mind you. I am just doing this because it's important to me." A Shia, he didn't bare as strong a grudge against them. The few Shias he had met as a child had done their best to help him. Not that their best was good enough.

"Why is it important to you if you don't practice?" His gloved hand brushed her jaw. The scent of fresh blood was still tantalizing his senses, his body urging him to dominate and feed off the easy meal.

"It's the anniversary of my great-grandmother's death." What had the old woman done to be so honored after death?

"So it's a family tradition then?" Lina suddenly felt uncomfortable with him so close to her, not sure what had changed about him so quickly that made her feel like she needed to flee. Ignoring the voices in her head she simply didn't respond to him, not retracting from him but not giving into him either.

"No…she died three years ago." How old had her great-grandmother been? "I still miss her and since my family isn't here I thought I could do something all by myself." She looked down at her lap, sounding like a child when they tell their parent that they broke the vase on the mantle.

"If you wanted to do something by yourself then why do you need me to do the dirty work?" Her head jerked up to look him in the eyes, her hands moving to accentuate the meaning of her speech.

"Reason number one. No one in my family taught me how to butcher meat because they said I should always have a man around to do that for me. Number two. I physically am not strong enough to keep that damned beast under control while slitting its throat." She wiggling her ankle that he still had on his lap. "If it did this while I was trying to catch it. I highly doubt it wouldn't take me down with it. Besides, you should consider yourself lucky that I regard you as the man in my life. I never would have asked Sean, even when he was nice. So are you going to help me or not?"

"What do I get for helping?" She grabbed his cravat and pulled him close to her, her mouth next to his ear. He was shocked as her tongue licked the shell of his ear before she blew on it, her voice sounding seductive.

"What do you want big boy?" He felt a shiver go down his spine in excitement, a devilish grin on his face.

"For you to never compare me to that boy ever again." She rolled her eyes and playfully bopped him on the head since the opportunity to do so was rare.

"Deal. I just want you to know that you just wasted a freebie. Now get out there and slaughter that goat. Pick me up and take me with you actually, I need to make sure you do it the way I want." His hand tugged playfully on her hair and he lobbed her onto his shoulder like he would a sack of potatoes, his hand groping her ass as he walked them outside ignoring her cries of indignation. "Vlad! This is not what I had in mind! And stop groping me you perv! My ass is my property damn it!" Laughing Vlad pinched her ass before setting her down.

"That was because I carried you out here. Now give me some more rope and a knife."

6:30 p.m. …

Vlad was sprawled out on the couch in the living room, flipping through the shows on TV as Lina was busy packing up the food to deliver to the mosque. He had been in the kitchen trying to help till Lina had thrown him out, threatening to beat him with a soup ladle if he didn't stay out of her way. He stopped on a movie channel that was playing a movie called 'Saw'. It was half way through the movie but he had a feeling that it wasn't really all that important since it was mostly images of the torture the strange doll had set up for the victims. He was unfazed by the show of blood and gore, the looks of fear and agony on the people's faces, and watching simply because nothing else was on that had drawn his interest. Within minutes Lina came into the living room screaming in horror as she saw the man sawing his own foot off. She dashed from the room and shouted to him from the hallway.

"Change it Vlad! What is wrong with you! How can you watch that! It's so disturbing!" He simply clicked the TV off and sat up as she peeked back into the room, seeing that the movie was off and then coming back into the room.

"It's off. I've never seen someone over react like that, it's just a movie, it's not like the actor really cut his foot off." He looked at her and saw just how upset she was; her eyes watery and he thought she would burst into tears at any moment. "Lina…are you honestly going to cry because of that?" She nodded. "You watched me slaughter a goat and butcher it. You took the bloody pieces of meat and cooked them, but you are going to cry over a scene in a movie. You make absolutely no sense weakling." She sniffled and turned away from him, going back into the kitchen. With a groan he flopped back, stretching out his legs and arms, waiting for her mood to swing back to one that he was willing to deal with. He picked up the remote and turned the movie back on, lowering the volume so she wouldn't hear it. "I swear that if she wasn't fun to be with I would consider leaving."

Chapter End


	12. Self Loathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guide for languages in flashback
> 
> Romanian is in bold.
> 
> Farsi is in italic.
> 
> Arabic is in normal type.

The air was rank with the stench of festering filth and the rancid odor of decomposition. Solid walls of thick stone were cold to the touch while the room itself boasted a sweltering heat. A child's hand reached for a heavy chain, scraping the metal against the wall to mark the passing of another day and the soon-to-come relief of night. The same hand now touched the wall to count the groves; 20. Had it only been 20 days of imprisonment? It must seem longer without food and water regularly. Curse the summer sun that peered into the room through the barred window, giving nothing but burning light and more heat! In the setting sun, relief was coming for him, an angel in this god forsaken land. No, God was everywhere; God made earth and saw all. He watched the sky fade from blue to purple, seeing the star that hailed the coming of his personal angel. When she had left last year she had promised to return to the palace a week after that star appeared in the sky. It had been two. Perhaps she'd met an ill fate...?

As the night dragged on he had begun to lose hope when he heard the barely audible swish of a skirt a few paces behind muffled steps. It wouldn't be one of the Sultan's guards; they had no reason to be silent as they patrolled. He managed to pull his tired body from the floor, dusting himself off so he could maintain some sense of dignity. The sounds stopped on the other side of the wall, and he heard some rustling before a small pair of hands gripped the bars of his prison. Her head popped into his frame of view, seeing the tiny silver halo of light around her head as the moon rose into the sky. His eyes had already adjusted to the darkness and he could make out her features: That of a smaller child then himself, with wide eyes and unruly hair that captured the light. She was just another human, like himself.

"Vlad…you here still?" It was obvious that her Arabic tutor had focused too much on pronunciation and not on actual sentence construction when it came to speaking. Her eyes must not have adjusted yet to the darkness he found comfort in.

"Yes." His voice had gone hoarse, as he had been deprived of water. There was a small sigh of relief.

"Sorry find you now. Everywhere look but not there you. Water and food have I." He winced at her speech but remained silent, his stomach urging him to forget the words and focus on the possibility of food. She looked down to who he guessed was holding her up and heard their conversation, unable to understand it. _"Captain he looks terrible. He is so thin."_ She turned back to look at him. "Number days here you Vlad?"

"20 days." He could see the way her eyes widened in dismay at the very notion. How he, Vlad Dracula the third, had ended up in a cell in the Sultan's palace with no one except a six-year-old heathen as his only life line, he would never understand. But at least there was someone out there that cared for his well being. His own mother had cast Radu and himself out, rather than shielding them from their spineless father. He could hear her speaking to the Captain of her family's private guard, he couldn't recall the name. He caught the little bags she dropped in through the window, his stomach rumbling as the smell of food hit him. She lowered the leather sack of water to him.

"I get you out Vlad. Promise, I get you out of dark." He couldn't keep his temper in control.

**"How the hell are you supposed to do that?! How is a powerless weakling like you supposed to get me out of this hell!"** The little girl looked hurt, her eyes watering. Even though she didn't understand his mother tongue the tone was enough to convey his feelings. She disappeared from the window and it hit him that she was leaving him there. Dropping the supplies Vlad moved to the window, reaching up towards the bars and the twinkling stars in the sky beyond his reach. **"No wait…Come back! Don't leave! Don't leave me here!"** He slid to his knees, feeling the blackness engulfing him, tears slowly trekking down his face. _"Come back…"_

\---------------------------------------------------------------------(end flash back)

Carfax….2:00p.m….October 5

Vlad jerked awake finding himself in the darkness and feeling the panic feeding on him, pushing up at the darkness, reaching up to find the star. With a clatter the lid of his coffin hit the floor on the other side of the room, his chest expanding as he tried to breath. Slowly he remembered that the exercise was useless to him. With a growl he slumped back and put his hand over his eyes. Looking down he saw that his bloody tears were on his hands, wiping them off on the floor in disgust, berating himself for having reacted that way to a dream.

"What the hell is wrong with me…it was nothing more than a dream."

**'Nightmare is more like it…'** Vlad was on his feet in a second, prowling the halls of Carfax in search of the speaker. The words had been in Romanian…and male…and so familiar.

**'You won't find me Alucard…Not without a mirror.'** The voice was chuckling sarcastically in his mind. Alucard stopped dead in his tracks, refusing to believe what his mind was telling him.

"What! Who is this?" He snarled, his eyes glowing red as he moved through rooms. The moment a glint of something metallic flashed by, he charged at it. Alucard stopped immediately, suddenly realizing it was just the light thrown off a cracked full length mirror he'd sworn he covered.

**'Good…you followed me just like the hunting dog you are.'**

Alucard's hands clenched into fists but didn't move any closer to the mirror, knowing that he had no reflection.

**'What's wrong…scared of being a shadow.'**

No…he had avoided mirrors because he hated them.

**'You can tell yourself that lie all you want…I will always know the truth.'** An armored man walked into view on the mirror, looking out at him with brown eyes. **'You are nothing more than a hollow copy of me…Using my name no less.'** Alucard stumbled back as he was confronted by himself. His mouth opened and shut as words failed him. **'Don't look so surprised to see me… She woke me up.'** The armored man leaned against the edge of the glass inside the mirror, gazing out at Alucard with a stare that he had used countless times when talking down his opponents. **'Have you had fun getting cozy with her?'** Alucard didn't answer, his mind reeling at the absurdity of this.

Was he still asleep? Had he finally snapped and gone off the deep end?

**'We are mad, but this is actually happening. Now snap out of that idiotic daze and answer me Alucard. Or did Van Helsing remove my balls when he created you?'**

"Shut up." Alucard stared at himself in the mirror for the first time in five hundred years, it being one of the most disturbing experiences to having had a version of himself from that long ago trash talking himself! "How is this possible if I'm not completely insane?" He ground out, his voice full of disbelief. The Vlad in the mirror shrugged his shoulders, the sound of the metal clinking accompanying the movement.

**'I am not sure exactly of the mechanics of how, but it's because of the girl.'**

Alucard frowned, not understanding what his other self was saying.

"Are you talking about Lina?" The man in the mirror nodded his head. Alucard slowly took a step closer to the mirror, locking eyes with his past life. Past life…Was that what he was looking at…? But he'd never died! How could he have a past life if he had yet to die? Vlad gave Alucard a smirk, knowing the thoughts running through Alucard's head.

**'I died slowly…I faded out of this world as the monster I became took over. You were born when Van Helsing started to experiment on our body. Our souls started to merge when the seals were broken; I started to wake up when you kissed Lina.'** Alucard didn't question the logic…it made as much sense as everything else right now.

"The dream was a memory… wasn't it?" A nod was all the answer his counterpart would give him.

**'Indeed…'**

"If what you are telling me is true, then it was your memory. Why did I have the dream?"

**'We are merging…you and I will become one. My memories will become yours, and you will become me.'** That sounded so…cliché. A buzzing sound came to both Vlads' attention, the one that wasn't in the mirror picking up his cell phone to see that Lina was calling him. Alucard debated with himself about answering her before letting the call go to voicemail. **'Such a shame, I would love to get to know her on a more personal level instead of second hand through you.'** Alucard felt a sudden pinch of what he could only liken to jealousy. He did not want Lina to meet himself. Great; this was just fucking great. He was trying to be a nice…well nicer man around her for some reason he still had yet to grasp and now he had this additional obstacle.

**'Worried she may want me instead?'** Alucard glared at the man in the mirror. **'If I had a body of my own you would have to be. Since we are joining together it would be pointless to compete. Unless I could push you out that is.'** It seems that last sentence was meant as a threat but Alucard couldn't be sure.

\----------------------

Hellsing Headquarters

Walter was taking the chance to speak with Seras now that Integra had left him to his own devices while searching Abraham's' study for his journals. Walking down the dungeon hallway towards her room Walter took notice of the energy. Alucard's' energy soaked the very hallway itself, but in the time he had been gone it seemed like it was nothing more than an imprint of the vampire's presence. In a hundred years this presence would still be here, haunting the house like any other ghost. He knocked on her door, when he received no response he walked in, knocking on the lid of her coffin. There was a shifting inside as she moved the lid and poked her head out, blinking as she looked up to greet him, having been in a deep state of sleep.

"Walter…is something wrong? It's not even sundown yet." She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes and rolling her shoulders out. There were seven bags of dirt at the base of her coffin. Seras had finally consented to it after a year of being weak from refusing to eat on a regular basis.

"We need to talk about the Khayam case. You said you had talked to her about Alucard." It was a calmly asked question that made Seras get up and walk to the other side of the room. Opening up her drawers and getting out her uniform, her blue and white striped pj's baggy enough to hide her figure.

"I didn't tell her that Alucard was a vampire, or even that he worked for Hellsing-"

"And you are not to even speak the word Hellsing to civilians. Nor are you to say that either of you are vampires." Seras huffed, as if she would be that stupid. Maybe she had been a bit dense when she had first come to Hellsing but it had been two years already, she knew what she was doing damn it.

"I know Walter. I gave her a warning that Alucard is bad news. I most certainly can not force her to stop seeing him. When I told her she just laughed at me and told me that she has bad taste in men."

"Well considering the reason we even know of her existence, it is a painfully obvious that she has a taste for murderous monsters that masquerade as humans." Both Walter and Seras turned to find Integra leaning against the door jam, her glasses covered in a glare, blocking the view of her eyes. They gave salutes to her as she pulled herself from the door and walked into the room. "Walter, Alucard's papers have been approved. I want you to personally deliver them to Carfax. I'm sure he'll appreciate getting this from you, after all you and him are somewhat friends." Walter took the stack of envelopes; bowing to Integra before leaving to complete the task he had been given. Seras expected Integra to leave now that Walter had left; after all, no one cared about her unless they needed a punching bag. When Integra was still standing there Seras felt uncomfortable.

"Um…Sir Integra, can I help you with something?"

"I need you to get dressed and be ready to meet the new troops in the first floor instruction room at 8 p.m. tonight." Seras blinked in surprise. They hadn't been able to recruit more then two to three men at a time, and never had she been asked to meet the new troops.

"Yes Sir Integra."

\----------------------------

Trinity College

Lina sighed as Vlad didn't answer and instead of leaving a message she just hung up. Sitting on the grass she looked up into the branches of the tree she was sitting under, the yoga mat keeping her from getting her pants dirty while letting her be close to the grass. It was cold and Lina half expected snow to fall at any moment from the overcast sky. Lina was dreading the snow, having lived in sunny Los Angeles her whole life she could barely handle the low forties, let alone the high twenties that would come with the snow. At least it was looking to stay above the thirties on Halloween. She still needed to find something to do for old hallows eve and was wondering if maybe Vlad already had plans that she could join him in. Of course the boys had invited her to a big costume bash they were hosting at the club, but in that case she would need to buy a killer costume. With her currently limited funds she either had to call home and ask for costume money or maybe beg and plead for a bargain. It wasn't exactly easy to find a job when you have a military organization putting holds on all your paperwork.

"I swear Sean…if I didn't have to worry about dying I would kick you in the nuts so hard so you couldn't have kids. Asshole. Controlling my fucking life without even being in it. Curse you and your abs…and biceps…god I'm horrible. I'm sitting here hating him and I still think he's hot. And I'm dating Vlad…I know I've seen him without his shirt…I don't remember what he looked like though…what do I see in him? Well he's definitely perverted, which is kinda double edged. He treats me well, except for the groping…but he's good about that too. He hasn't pressured me yet…which could mean he is just a nice guy, or he isn't really interested in me like that. But those looks he gets sometimes, like when he cut up that goat…it sent chills 20 times worse than anything I ever felt with Sean." She had been thinking of breaking up with Vlad over some of the feelings of unease she got around him. But when he held her it just felt so…good…so right. They had gotten in fights though. Lina had been terrified by the murderous look in his eyes, by the way he cornered her to the wall, caged her in so she had no choice but to look at him as his voiced dipping into a dangerous hiss that sent shivers down her spine. Even then, in those moments were she feared he was going to kill her, he simply declared victory and pulled away, being so daring as to kiss her as if that settled the matters, which in all honesty it did. That didn't mean he had to just assume it was alright. Who was she kidding? Lina liked that he was dangerous, he was risky, and he was powerful. That's why she liked him, he commanded respect. His very aura would accept no less from her, and she was happy to give it to him. If Vlad didn't command respect, submission, obedience she would not be with him. He was her idea of a perfect male. Crap.

"Every feminist in a ten mile radius must be going nuts right now." She commented to the butterfly fluttering on the grass nearby. Closing her eyes Lina laid flat on the mat, rubbing her bare feet against the grass and taking in deep breaths. "I guess that I really am hyper feminine, and he's my hyper masculine, and together we are a perfectly dysfunctional couple."

_'Wouldn't be the first dysfunctional relationship we've ever 'ad.' _An older woman's voice said in her mind, the cockney accent telling her exactly who it was. Lina rolled her eyes, not in the mood to deal with this.__

"Who asked the peanut gallery?" She cracked open an eye, making sure that no one was close enough to listen in. 

_'She's right though. I mean look at yourself, you're pretending to be oblivious to his lies. How much longer are you going to be able to play dumb?'_ This voice was much softer, a bit higher then Lina's own, this voice a much more polished version of English then the previous voice. 

"I don't know Sandra. Believe me you have no idea how hard it is to not just slap him and scream that he sucks at secret identities. Besides, I rather have him tell me then have me busting him. It would hurt his pride…and possibly shorten my lifespan." Sandra huffed in inside Lina's mind. 

_'Just bloody tell him…in fact while you are going about it just get all our secrets out there at once. No use lying.'_ Lina frowned at that, not sure Vlad would take to well to all of her secrets. 

__"No…I don't felt ready to tell him." Sandra huffed again._ _

_'Then maybe you shouldn't be with him.'_

__"No…I like him…a lot. I didn't think I would, but I like him. And it has nothing to do with how any of you feel about him. I like him just because I do." Sandra's voice quieted down in Lina's mind, it silent except for her own thoughts. Lina pulled her cell phone out and checked the time. It was time to pack up and go to her last class of the day._ _

__\--------------------_ _

__Carfax….7 p.m._ _

__Walter stood outside Carfax, the stone wall seeming less menacing than normal. Perhaps Alucard was already gone for the evening. Looking around cautiously, Walter made sure that no one was around before leaping up and grabbing the end of the crumbling brick, using his momentum to flip over the wall, bending his knees as his feet touched the ground. He felt a small twinge in his left knee but aside from that it had been a perfect landing. He had the files in a light case, moving towards the decrepit stones. Stepping into the remains of the chapel Walter found Alucard's coffin. The infamous black box rested on a light layer of rich brown soil under what remained of the roof. Creates full of the dirt were stashed in the corner of the room under tarps, protecting them from the elements. It had cost a pretty penny to get those creates into England. Apparently every sea faring smuggler had read Dracula and refused to transport any box of dirt coming from Romania for less than two thousand pounds a create. At least Vlad had covered expense when they had told him of it. Walter was split on whether the papers in the case were a blessing for Hellsing or a curse. Alucard would be able to move freely in society with the proper papers, spend as he wished, even leave the British Isles altogether if he was so inclined. Yes it would cut down on the amount of paperwork he would have to go through to approve of Alucard's needs like the dirt and ordering blood, but would the vampire finish his original plan of taking over the United Kingdom now that he could in essence do anything he wanted. Maybe dating Lina would keep him busy for the next few years, if Walter was lucky the next thirty. He deserved to go to his grave with a few years of not running around after the undead. Walter in honesty felt a bit sorry for Alucard, never knowing the peace of death. Perhaps that was why the vampire was so crazy, being alive for five hundred years with maybe only seventy years where he wasn't awake. Traveling past the chapel and venturing into the long hallway Walter looked left and right, trying to see a clue as to his 'friend's' location. A loud crash came from the left wing and Walter would bet his retirement package that Vlad was in a foul mood._ _

__He found the vampire sitting on the floor with the remains of what used to be a set of dishes in the beginning of a kitchen area Alucard had decided to have built into the old estate, but when he had seen the way the workers had treated the building he had fired them and shut his home down to any more renovations till he could hire his own contractor, having used it as a starting point when he had complained to Sir Hellsing about getting his identity back prior to this case. Alucard looked up at Walter in a way which made him even more uncomfortable than the morning after they had been celebrating his eighteenth birthday, having woken up naked next to the vampire with no memory of how that had happened. To this day he could not remember that night, and frankly Walter had no desire to know. Alucard had a look of relief on his face as Walter walked in, standing up and giving a smile that was a release of the tension that the vampire had been feeling till he walked in._ _

__"Walter…so glad to see someone else here…I was starting to go mad." The tone Alucard used rattled Walter; he had never heard the no life king sound so human._ _

__"You should be glad to see me. I have your papers and your new identity. All that's needed is a signature and you officially exist." Alucard suddenly snapped back into himself, brushing broken porcelain from his coat and directing Walter to the nearest counter. There was little exchange between them as Alucard looked over the files, no emotion crossing his face. It was strange that he stood there, lips drawn and his eyes absorbing every single drop of ink. Quietly Alucard placed the papers down and a pen appeared in his hand._ _

__"Was the naming Integra's parting jab?" Walter didn't know what the vampire was talking about. The paper was held up to his monocle and Walter could barely contain the smirk on his lips or the chuckle in his throat._ _

__"Perhaps just a reminder that you are not unwatched." Alucard put the paper down and moved the pen closer to the page, yet not making the final step to true freedom._ _

__"Can I file to change the name? Or am I stuck with it till this person dies and I need a new identity?"_ _

__"I suppose so…but I think it will take you at least a month for that to happen." There was a heavy pause and then the scratch of the pen on the paper as it was approved. Walter collected the signature and tucked it away in the pocket of his coat. "Have a pleasant evening Alucard…and do try to keep from alarming the neighbors…can't have police wondering about you already." Quickly Walter exited the room, wisely keeping his back to the wall and his face to the vampire. Leaping over the wall once more, Walter calmly returned to the car and drove back to the Manor, wondering how the introduction would go tonight with the new 'troops'._ _

__\------------------------------_ _

__Abandoned house outside the city limit…8 p.m._ _

__"Come on man…this place is so fucking wack…Lets just go and get her, fuck the little slut…rip her head off and go home man. I hate being here, all the girl's teeth here are fucked up…and it's fucking cold man. I ain't scared of no damn pussy British guy with a gun. Fuck it man, let's just get it done. If you had put the bitch in her place before we wouldn't have spent the fucking money to get here. How the fuck we gonna-" A hand wrapped around the throat of the scrawny teenager, squeezing a bit harder to get the point across._ _

__"Shut up. I'm the alpha here and you will keep that snout of yours shut unless you want me to break it." Sean snarled at the lesser werewolf. He knew the pack was getting antsy being cooped up in the house but he couldn't let them just go running a muck in the city. They had pushed their limits with all those girls. If people believed in actual monsters there would be an up roar and a brutal hunt to stomp them out. True werewolves were powerful and could only be killed in a few ways, but he had a sneaking suspicion that a bazooka would be just as effective as silver bullets. A gasping sound came to his attention and he realized that his hand was still wrapped around the other's throat. With a careless gesture he tossed the werewolf randomly across the room, not caring about the loud yelping sound and the grumbles from the others. He went up to the roof to find some peace from the idiots. Pacing the decaying roof he couldn't stop the image of Lina wrapped up in that other man's arms leave his mind. Lina had never even kissed him on the cheek and yet she was throwing herself on this guy. The true slap in the face was that the man was so much older then he was! Was the sweet little human he picked to be his mate a sugar girl? Was throwing her some money all he had to do so he could get her? How had he messed this up so bad? He had just gotten tired of waiting for her to mate with him and now he was stuck in England, with 12 deaths over his head, dropped out of college, and with Lina hating his guts. Checking to insure privacy he let himself show weakness, putting his head in his hands and he shoulders shaking just a bit, not letting the tears fall._ _

__He really did want Lina; she had been so sweet, funny, and innocent. Thanks to his damn temper he had scared her away and now she was in that bastards arms and KISSING him on the LIPS! He wanted nothing more than for her to drop to her knees and apologize to him, beg him to love her and take her back, but she was out of his reach. There was no way she would come to him after the threats he made against her and her family. He had threatened her, beaten her, driven her away from him, and had ensured that she wouldn't submit to his control anymore. Effectively he had ruined his chances with her, and there was no way he could redeem himself at this point. His hand slipped into his pocket, grabbing the small gold rosary that his grandmother had left him. Running his fingers over the small figure of the savior Sean prayed for guidance out of this hellhole he had let temptation lead him too._ _

__Suddenly Sean felt the beast inside him rear its head and he let go of the rosary. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't Lina's either. It was that other male! That other male had stolen his mate from him and he would make that male pay! He would punish his mate lightly for being so weak, but the male would die first. The drive of the hunt was boiling in his blood. He stormed downstairs and called on his pack, commanded them to follow him into the city to find the male and began to plan his vengeance on the interloper._ _

__Chapter End_ _


	13. Unpleasantries

October 5…7:17 p.m…Vance Residence.

Alucard knocked on the front door, agitated about the id sitting in his pocket and not entirely sure that he wanted to bother with Lina tonight. Yes he found her amusing, but with her mood swings he tended to get into trivial arguments with her. Perhaps he would still be able leave and find a meal. Yes, the feel of hot, fresh blood flowing down his throat was exactly what he needed. The thrill of the hunt would help take off the edge. As he was about to depart an older woman opened the door, blinking in surprise at seeing him there and then her eyes hardening into a glare.

"Hello…may I help you?" Alucard put on a charming smile, giving the woman a slight bow.

"Sorry if I am intruding on anything Ma'am, I was wondering if I could speak with Miss Khayam." The woman's eyes hardened a bit more.

"Who is inquiring?" Why was this happening to him? Was this God's idea of payback? Well if it was then he had underestimated the powers that be.

"Vlad? What are you doing here? I called you earlier to tell you that I was going to be babysitting tonight and that we can't go out. You never called me back so you didn't get the info." Lina seemed to appear in the doorway between him and the older woman. Alucard had not even seen her walking in the hallway. "Lady Dyrmire, this is my…well he's not a boyfriend, but we having been dating since July." Lina seemed embarrassed about explaining their relationship to this woman.

"You didn't tell me you were seeing anyone Christina." Lina started to worry her bottom lip.

"I can't imagine how uncomfortable this makes you feel but I give you my word that he has never even set foot in the house while Samantha was here. I didn't mention I was dating because it never became a conflict." Alucard knew reading Lina's mind would be fruitless, but this Lady Dyrmire's mind was a different matter. He carefully slipped in and was bombarded with waves of betrayal and worry of a child's safety. He traced the emotions to images in the woman's mind and saw the little girl, then flashes of audio as a woman and man threatening Lady Dyrmire with never seeing the child again. Gently pulling out of her mind Alucard wondered if his mother had felt that amount of pain when he and Radu had been sent away.

"Lady Dymire, if I may address you so. I want to assure you I am no threat to your child." His voice melded easily with his use of mind manipulation on the older woman. Her guard slowly lessened, but could not be forced to dissipate and Alucard did not try to push least his manipulation be too noticable.

"That remains to be seen. If you can you are welcome to join us for a late dinner. Christina cooked and it seems improper to send you away without you eating something. You are as thin as a corpse." Lina and Alucard stood there as Lady Dyrmire made her way back into the main area of the house where it sounded like a group was gathered. Lina gave him a nervous smile and her hands were wringing from her anxiety.

"So…Vlad…Sorry about calling you earlier, I just wanted to give you a heads up. Lady Dyrmire doesn't allow for guests while I'm babysitting. So yeah…I know we can't go out, and I highly doubt you'll get to stay after dinner." Alucard felt this was his opening to escape, to bow out politely and go tear someone's head from their neck and laugh as blood would gush forth.

"Why is the spooky man here?" Both of them looked to see little Samantha standing in the hallway looking at Lina as if the girl had been betrayed somehow with his presence there. He gave a small bow towards the child.

"Do not worry; I will be taking my leave child. I just wished to have a quick word with Lina before I left for the evening." The child slowly walked closer to them, drifting closer to Lina as she examined him carefully. Samantha's head tilted thoughtfully and her large doe eyes stared at him unblinkingly. Lady Dyrmire and Matt poked their head into the hallway to check on Samantha.

"You're not the spooky man…you are just creepy looking. You don't have to leave." He was completely taken aback. Lady Dyrmire made a gasp and came over quickly, gently pulling Samantha over to her and whispering that it was rude to call someone creepy. He put on a smirk and told Lady Dyrmire that it was not anything to bother correcting. He spared Lina a glance and noticed that she seemed withdrawn, thinking deeply about something. The child was gently prodded toward him and it was obvious from her stance that she did not really want to apologize. "Come have dinner please Sir. I'm very sorry I called you creepy." Shit. There went his escape window. Guess his meal would have to wait till later.

"It is alright, seeing as you asked so nicely I will have to stay for dinner." Lina put her hand on his shoulder and she seemed distracted, her eyes focused on some distant point in the room that the child's eyes seemed to keep darting back too.

"I need to speak with him in private for a few minutes. We'll join you all shortly." Her voice left no room for argument and with a bit of surprise in their eyes at her tone Lady Dyrmire and Matt ushered Samantha to the dining room. Once Lina was certain the others were out of ear shot she turned to face him, her eyes still carefully watching that spot. The brown iris slowly turned green before his eyes even without a shift in lighting. The green grew like grass from freshly overturned soil. If he knew no better he would swear that her human eyes had flashes of bright purple like a flower bursting forth and dying in an instant. "Vlad…you don't have to stay for dinner. I don't want to force you to stay if you have other business to deal with." The tone of her voice was very cold and business like. There was the distinct impression that she was trying to give him a reason for leaving, almost telling him that they both needed some private time tonight. A smile graced her lips that never reached her eyes, and he felt a tingle of excitement at the homicidal look that flashed there. He had never seen that in her eyes before, and he was intrigued.

"I told the child I would stay for dinner." He moved in closer to her, his eyes flashing with hunger and excitement from the flash of murderous intent in her eyes. His voice was heavy with seduction, and he mildly wondered if she would scream in pain when his fangs sank into the skin of her neck or if she would moan in pleasure. Their eyes were level. "A quick bite will not delay me long. Especially if that quick bite is from you." Her eyes darted to his lips then back to his eyes and a shiver of fear passed through her before he heard her normal voice like a gentle whisper as he read her mind. 'I'm not on the menu.'

"Stay if you want then Vlad. I'll have to set another place for you. What did you come here to tell me any way?" The voice she used was more direct and to the point, almost like someone a few years older then Lina was speaking to him instead.

"The papers came today that officially asserts my existence as a civilian. Unfortunately I have been given a name change. I just wanted to inform you of it so we could avoid confusion in public till I correct the issue." Her eyes shifted rapidly to brown and her entire energy field seemed to change.

"Really? What's the new name?" His smile fell and he simply handed her his new identification card, refusing to say the name out loud. Lina took the card and stared at it for a few moments, looking up at him with a blank expression then back down at the card. He noticed that her frame seemed to be shaking slightly, her lips curled up, and her eyes were shining with mirth. He reached to pull the card back when she burst out giggling. He gave her a look that would have most people scared shitless, but when her eyes met his she burst into an even louder fit of giggles. "Oh my freaking god. That's too funny. No way. No freaking way." Alucard wanted to put his boot on her face and press down, imagining that laughing of hers turning into a scream as her head popped like a balloon. "I'm so sorry, it's just ironic. Given what you do and that this is the name in the book and...sorry. You seem really unhappy about it."

"I am. My own name would have sufficed. Director Wingates did this on purpose." Lina felt a twinge of jealousy that he and Integra had a history together, it made her feel like she might be a pawn in some game the two played.

"I'll go set another place for you at the table." She left the room and Alucard slowly followed her. He sat down and did not make eye contact with Lina even as she set the plate, cutlery, and glass before him. She took the seat across from him and smiled at Matt, giving him the okay to start dinner. The two of them respectfully put their heads down as Matt said the prayer, Lina and Alucard casting glances at each other while the others closed their eyes and putting their hearts into the words. She gave him an awkward smile as their eyes met across the table and he realized she was just as uncomfortable with the ritual as he was. When the rest of the table said amen they lifted their heads up. A crisp snap came from Lina's soda can as she poured the dark liquid into her glass. They sat quietly and listened to the others as they spoke, Vlad trying his best to stomach the food and hoping to god he would be able to leave soon.

"Sir, you did not properly introduce yourself to the rest of us. As much as Christina might want to keep you to herself I do feel we are entitled to your name." Lady Dyrmire's voice chastised him from the Matt's right. He looked up and gave her a nod of acknowledgement, trying to hold back his annoyance.

"Forgive me Ma'am. I meant no disrespect. Vlad Vladimirescu." He absolutely refused to use the name Integra gave him. She couldn't honestly expect him to use the name Quincey Morris.

\-------------

Silk Street…9 p.m.

Sean and the other wolves sat on a rooftop. He was pissed. He just couldn't find the man's scent to track him down and kill him. His claws dug into the gravel while he wracked his brain for a solution to his problem.

"Any ideas you worthless mutts?" They looked at each other, trying to read an answer from the wolf across from them.

"Um…well, if this guy is dating your ex-girl. Maybe he'll be at her house. You know…at least his scent would be there and stuff." Sean looked at the other werewolf and an evil smirk crossed his lips.

"Fucking brilliant Jake. Fucking brilliant." Sean jumped to his feet, his teeth sharpening in anticipation of blood. "Remember boys, keep out of fucking sight. Your ass gets shot it's your own fault." Obediently the other wolves followed Sean across the rooftops and through the alley ways, making their way across the city towards the Vance home. It was difficult but they were able to find a rooftop that was tall enough to see the home and out of range of the patrolling monster hunters. With his inhuman abilities Sean could see the people moving through the windows, thankful that it was upwind, able to catch the scents from the house. That bastard was there! Lina was in that house with the bastard right now! She was even feeding the man his favorite dish! A deep growl escaped his throat and he could barely restrain himself from breaking into the house, slaughtering everyone and then claiming Lina for himself. No…that would be suicide to just run over there. He would have to wait, stalk the man and then slaughter the competitor. He would be sure to mail Lina the man's head. He spotted the motor bike and knew that must be the man's ride. He watched as two other cars left from the house. It was about half an hour and Sean couldn't handle it any more.

"Phil, try and sneak closer. I can't fucking wait. Watch your ass man." Phil was looking at Sean like he was crazy, but reluctantly he moved to sneak closer, grumbling under his breath how much he hated his luck and how his alpha should have put the bitch in her place. Phil tried to stick to the shadows, thankful for the dark shirt and jeans. He was staring at the house from the alleyway across the street, sniffing around for guards. He snarled when he couldn't smell the guards and made to move back to the group when he felt the muzzle of a gun pressing up against the back of his head. Panic went through Phil, having no idea who was standing behind him with the gun.

"You are one unlucky wolf. Tell me. Was your Alpha too scared to come here himself? Or are you just disposable?" The cold, deep voice sent shivers down Phil's spine, and Phil was still unable to smell who it was behind him, but he could smell the silver bullets. Had he been transformed his tail would be tucked between his legs. "Answer me mongrel. I have no qualms about shooting you and making your corpse vanish." Phil could hear the seriousness in the man's voice.

"Look man…I'm low on the pole. I was supposed to track this dude dating the Alpha's girl so we could kill him man. Just let me go…please…let me go. I'll leave the U.K. tonight man. You'll never see me again." A sinister laugh rumbled from the man behind him, the gun leaving his head and Phil let out a nervous chuckle. Phil turned slowly to face the man and was met with the tall figure in red, the hat casting his face into shadow except for the sunglasses, which seemed to be illuminated.

"Oh you will be leaving." Phil's eyes widened in horror as the man's mouth slowly opened, revealing shark like teeth. Red eyes blared into Phil's and he was petrified. His instinct was screaming at him to run from the superior predator. The man in red grabbed him by the shoulders then yanked his body close, that deadly mouth swooping down. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt before wracked his body, he couldn't even scream as those horrendous teeth crunched into the flesh. Blood squirting from his artery like a water balloon popping. Phil could feel his windpipe being crushed, his body changing to try and fight the man in red off. Skin turned to fur, nails to claws, and teeth to fangs. Phil thrust his claws forward in an attempt to rip the mouth away before he was drained of blood, feeling his claws sink into the soft tissue and hearing the sound of bones cracking. Tissue was carved away but still the horrible mouth was there, the slurping sound getting louder as the blood surged through Phil's veins and heart, carrying his life, his memories, his emotions away from his flesh and into this creature's insatiable belly. Was this how it was going to end? He charged forward, hoping that the motion would catch the monster off guard only finding himself trapped further in the thing's grip. No…it couldn't end like this. Phil had his family to think about. He still had to watch his sister walk down the aisle next year at her wedding. His younger brother was expecting to go camping with him next month. He had to get a job to help his parents with the bills. He needed to prove to his father he wasn't a dead beat and show his mother just how good a son she raised.

'Aren't you forgetting those girls you raped and slaughtered like pigs?' The man's voice was in Phil's head, forcing memories of the events back into his mind's eye, each pained screams and pleas for mercy rang in his ears over and over again. Soon the faces of his mother and sister joined those of the girls he watched being raped, the girls he raped, and the girls he helped shred to pieces while they screamed in agony before finally dying. _'Why do you deserve to live? Why should your death be less painful then the ones you took pleasure in handing out?''Your werewolf blood is wonderfully refreshing. It has been ages since I last had a taste of it. To bad it is such terrible quality.'_ Phil could feel every nerve ending screaming in agony, his own red eyes staring up at the blackened sky. The muzzle of a gun was put into his mouth and he was actually looking forward to the release that the bullet would give him.

"Beg me scum…beg me to end your life." Tears leaked faster from Phil's eyes and his body shook, his eyes rolling back into his head as he felt darkness, a bleaker darkness then anything he had ever felt in his blood lusts. His body was fighting off the vampire bite, his werewolf blood warring with the vampire's mark and loosing. He could feel his flesh rotting; feel the agony that would be his last memories on this earth. He tried to speak, the missing chunks making him unable to beg for the sweet release. The man in red gave him a malicious Cheshire grin, blood dripping from the impossibly white teeth. "Not going to beg are you? Well then. I guess I get to keep having fun with you." A gloved hand pierced his abdomen, gripping his intestines then pulling out the organ. Phil wished he wasn't a werewolf. If his body had been human he would have died from blood loss instead of having to deal with this abhorrent pain. "An eye for an eye." Phil would have let out a blood curdling scream had his throat been intact when the thing before him changed into a mass of shadows, the two of them vanishing from the alley way as one of the guards made his rounds.

"Fucking dumbass. What is taking so long? Did he decide to jack off or something? Damn Phil, gonna kick your ass when you get back." Sean and the other werewolves were growing annoyed that Phil had not returned yet.

"Do you think he got caught man?" A shiver went down all their spines.

"Let's go boys. We'll try again tomorrow night. Phil knows the way back." The unspoken half of the sentence was if he was still alive. They slowly made their way back to the house, looking over their shoulders as the hairs on the back of their necks stood on end.

\-----------------------------

Vance home…10:38 p.m.

Lina sighed as Vlad walked out the door, locking it behind him and going to sit with Samantha in the living room to watch the mind numbing programming. Samantha was drifting off to sleep and Lina carried her upstairs to her bedroom, letting the little girl get ready for bed. Getting up to brush her teeth Lina turned locked all the doors in the room.

"Lina…how do you get rid of the spooky man?" Lina spit out the foam and rinsed her mouth, gargling loudly before changing into a pair of pj pants and tank top. With a hairbrush in hand Lina worked through her hair, a small smile of pleasure at the simple action.

"Samantha, who is the spooky man? You've mentioned him a couple times." Lina kept her tone light but she felt her nerves on end. She needed the Samantha to tell her exactly what she saw so Lina could be certain about what she had a feeling was going on. Samantha curled up a bit on the bed, looking worried as she spoke in a low, whispered tone.

"The Spooky man wants to get me." Lina set the brush aside and put her hair up into a bun, scooting closer to Samantha. Lina took the child's hands in her own and squeezed reassuringly.

"The spooky man can't get you as long as I'm here. But I need you to tell me everything about the spooky man so I can help you get rid of him." Samantha looked around the room, checking for proof that the object of her fears wasn't in hearing range. "Samantha please, trust me. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I need you to tell me about the spooky man if you want me to help you." The child seemed to be wavering, not sure whether or not she should risk the retribution of her tormentor. "Please just tell me what he looks like Samantha."

"I don't know…I can't see him…I can't see him." The child started to cry and Lina wrapped her arms around Samantha in a hug, cooing softly to try and calm her down.

"It's alright Samantha. I'm sorry. I just want to help you." She tucked the child under the covers; lying down on the covers next to the child and watching as Samantha slowly feel asleep. Once she was sure Samantha was off in the land of dreams Lina sat at her desk and opened her laptop. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, multiple windows open on the screen. Some of the windows were homework for her classes, but others were sites on the occult. Pulling her cell phone out Lina contemplated the wisdom of calling Vlad right now. She had felt fearful of him tonight, practically screaming out as she felt the swirl of bloodlust coming from him. The not so secret reference he made to biting her made her body tremble and her blood burn. She had felt the slight prick of his bloodlust before, but it had been so strong tonight. She had felt the true threat he posed to her and it had turned her on. No, she should not call him now. After Lady Dyrmire came to pick Samantha up she would call. A shiver of fear went through Lina at the idea of Vlad being with her, unable to stop the fantasy of his hands on her body and his deadly mouth being put to better use. Lina had to forcefully shake her head to clear out the thoughts; reprimanding the giggling voices in her head for distracting her while she had work to do.

A whimpering came to her attention, Lina turning around as seeing that Samantha was in a fitful sleep. A frown set itself on Lina's face and her eyes misted over with tears as she saw the looks of pain that crossed Samantha's face. Lina gently moved to put a hand on Samantha's back, her hand stopping as she came across a warm spot in the air. A growl left her throat and her eyes hardened, trying to force herself to see what the source of the unexplained hot spot was. Frustration grew as she couldn't see the source.

"I can't see you, but I feel you. Get the out of my room and leave the kid alone." The spot seemed to get hotter, but moved closer to her, leaving the child slightly. Lina moved away from the bed, the warm spot following her outstretched hand and getting hotter, trying to scare her off with the fear of pain. "You are not welcome here. Leave." Lina would not back down. She had promised to protect Samantha and she would. "Leave the child alone." Lina's voice deepened to the older tone, to a tone that was dripping with toxin for the unseen object. Her fingers twitched, flexing her fingers as if her long nails were claws. Lina's lips pulled back, showing off a set of none existent fangs to the hot spot, her eyes turning green once more. "I command you to leave the child alone." The words passed her teeth as a catlike hiss and the hot spot moved up her arm. Had Lina been acting normally she would be in pain from the almost blistering heat she was experiencing. Lina felt a tingling sensation on her forehead, gasping as an image passed through her mind's eye. "Leave evil spirit, I know what you are." The heat faded and Lina watched as it escaped out the window. Once she was sure that the thing was gone Lina slipped to her knees, wiping off the sweat that had broken out on her forehead away and her breathing getting quicker. Looking down at her hand Lina half expected to see blisters and burnt flesh, sighing in relief that the pain had no physical manifestation beyond the slightly reddish hue of her skin, like a sunburn almost. "Well, I know what the fucking thing looks like…now I just need to double check everything I know about it. No offense Sha." Lina said to herself in her normal voice.

"None taken…after all, we can't take any chances with a child's safety." The matured, sensual version of her voice responded. Glancing over at Samantha a sigh of relief passed her lips at seeing the child sleeping peacefully. Lying down on the floor she looked up at the ceiling, her mind running over the image to make sure she captured it so she could identify it later.

"It's going to be impossible to find the right book Sha."

"No…we know exactly where to find the book. The problem is getting it."

"Alright girls, spill. Where is the book?" Lina could see the crowd of people in her mind shifting uncomfortably, only Sandra giving her a weak smile. Sandra held up a picture in her mind of a familiar blond woman with tanned skin.

"Director Wingates." Lina let out a groan, lightly bouncing her head on the floor. "Why does my life have to suck so hard?"

\---------------------------------

October 6…2a.m….Hellsing Manor.

"I can't believe that girl is a vampire. She just flicked my head and I flew across the room." Captain Bernadette held an ice pack to his face, already feeling the bruising. "But she does have one appealing uniform. Hope I get to be her back up." He let a perverted grin cross his lips and his men gave a round of less than polite compliments towards Seras. The Wild Geese had been hired by the Hellsing organization to be their new troops. They had an 'orientation' where they had met Seras, the Manor's resident vampiress before having to prove to Sir Hellsing that their skills were up to par. Pip still had no idea how a woman got the title of Sir, but then again he had no idea vampires and other monsters were real. Currently the men were all being assigned barracks on the massive compound along with uniforms and weapons. Seras had been dispatched on some mission that they were obviously not ready to handle.

"Captain Bernadette…Are you sure you don't want to visit the medical wing. You were bleeding profusely." Pip pulled the ice pack off, his forehead a deep purple. He gave Walter a smirk.

"Na…Just aspirin, ice, and rest and I'll be fine." He was handed his new uniform, weapon and barrack number before moving along the line towards his new 'home'. Being a captain had its perks as he had a room to himself while the men doubled up in smaller quarters. Kicking the combat boots off and tossing his hat aside Pip flopped onto the bed, sighing as he felt close to drifting off to sleep. He put the ice pack on the bruise once more and popped a few painkillers. This job may be deadlier than previous ones, but at least it would be a steady gig with cushy accommodations. An image of Seras popped into his mind and the perverted grin was back in full force since he was alone. God that girl was sexy. She had such a quiet air about her, but those sweater puppets made a very impressive statement, and that skirt. Pip licked his lips and closed his eyes. "I wouldn't mind having her sucking some of my vital fluids." Did vampires have sex? He hoped so.

Pip wriggled out of his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, there was a window to open to get a breeze in the room. Opening an eye he cast a glance around the room. The walls were an off white color, a ceiling fan with lights hanging above the center of the room, a heating grate in the far corner of the room and a small set of drawers across from the bed made up the space. He'd have to ask if he could do a bit of redecorating. He pulled out his cigarettes with his lucky Zippo lighter, flicking it open and watching the flame for a short while then lighting the cigarette and taking a long drag. He held the smoke in his lungs before slowly blowing out a stream of smoke, watching the pale grey swirls and shapes move through the air. A gentle knock came at his door. Pip looked past his outstretched legs and socked feet toward the door.

"Come in." The knob turned and he was surprised to see Seras poking her head through the crack between the door and the frame. She gave him a smile, the fangs adding to the cuteness of her face instead of making her look terrifying. Pip sat up on his bed, looking her over and grinning at her. "Well hello there Police Girl. What brings you to my quarters? Lonely?" He took a long drag from his smoke and blew a ring at her.

"It's Officer Victoria to you Captain Bernadette. I came to check on you after what happened earlier. I wanted to make sure you were alright. But you seem fine aside from the bruising." Seras made to leave the pervert alone when he stood from the bed. She noticed his shirt was open, looking over the planes of his chest.

"I'm glad you were worried about me Miss Victoria." Seras felt awkward as he moved closer, his smile trying to be charming. She could just shut the door, but she did not want to be around the pervert as he moved to the door. She had heard the things he and the other geese had said and it made her skin crawl. "Would you like to come in?" The cigarette was still between his lips as he motioned for her to come into the room.

"No thank you Captain. I need to report to Sir Hellsing on my mission." A disappointed look came over his face but he turned it into a smile.

"Alright then Seras…See you tomorrow then." Seras gave a quick nod and left the barracks as quickly as possible. That man looked at her and it made her sick. She knew very well that some men thought she was sexually attractive. The police force had taught her that much. Once she was back in the halls of the actual manor house she stopped to look out the window. It wasn't that she didn't like men. She honestly did, and if she was going to be honest Mr. Bernadette was attractive. However, she just couldn't image being sexual with any man. Images of her mother's corpse flickered through her mind, trying to block out the memory of those evil men killing her parents and violating her mother's defenseless body. Seras doubted she would ever be able to see sex as something other than nasty.

\------------------------------

Carfax…4:27 a.m.

Alucard pulled the trigger and watched dispassionately as Phil's body turned to dust and flew away on the wind. Rolling his head Alucard worked out the kinks in his neck and began to stretch his body out.

"It was nice knowing you Phil." Alucard licked his lips, getting the last taste of the werewolf's blood. He felt so energized, so strong. Mildly he wondered if he could cross the Thames without even breaking a sweat. He smelt strongly of blood and sex. A bath was in order. A frown pulled at his lips as he thought over the smell. Normally if he had smelt it he would be grinning in triumph, but the fact was that he was disgusted with himself. The young man hadn't stood any real chance of fighting back. Not enough to regret it, he had needed the physical release too much to pass up the opportunity. Still, he was not proud of violating the young man, but then again the man deserved to understand how those girls had felt. Yes, he had delivered the retribution that god had not. Soap and water would serve him well now.

Alucard walked to the washroom of the building, letting the tub fill with water and grabbing a washcloth. He plunged his head under the water, feeling the icy chill as the water worked through his hair and against his scalp. He held his head there under the water for minutes; not needing to come up for air had its perks. Finally he pulled his head up and slicked his hair back.

 **'I've been looking through your memories Alucard. It seems to me like you have a thing for young men instead of women. Poor girl, courted by a man who is not physically interested in her. Don't worry, I'll more then make up for your disinterest in her.'** Alucard groaned as his unwanted counterpart spoke up in his mind.

"I just take sex where I can get it. None of the Hellsings were keen on me keeping a bride around or on letting me have some fun with the female staff." He bit back in agitation. He hoped this would not become a common occurrence, Alucard doubted his mind could handle it. The other voice scoffed at him.

 **'What about the blonde you turned? Wasn't she physically attractive?'** The other Vlad was patronizing him.

"She is physically fine. But her mind leaves a lot to be desired. Police girl won't drink, she fights every step of the way, and bedding her would be like bedding my child. I'm not a fan of that." He hissed out. Getting into the tub Alucard started to scrub his flesh harshly, wanting to scrape away the skin that smelt of that werewolf.

**'So what is your excuse for not being interested in Lina?'**

"I am interested in her. If I want her to stick around she needs to be a virgin."

 **'So the excuse is you want to turn her.'** Alucard felt his eye twitching, wishing that the voice had a body so he could kill it. **'More like fuck it.'** Alucard let out a groan of aggravation. He looked down, seeing that blood was filling the tub water quickly from how hard he had scoured his flesh. With little effort the blood stopped its downward flow and moved back into his flesh, his powers of regeneration quickly healing the torn skin.

"You are mistaken, so be silent."

**'I know…I just want to ruin your evening.'**

\-----------------------

Vance Residence…8 a.m.

Lord and Lady Dyrmire arrived at their nephews' home. Noticing that the dreadful blue van Mathew drove was still absent. They had spent the night alone together, having had a pleasant 'date' of sorts so they could relax. It had been hard for her to not worry about her daughter, but her husband Charles had eased some of her fears. Charles assisted her in exiting the vehicle, giving her a peck on the cheek of affection.

"I do hope Samantha is alright. She's hasn't been sleeping well. Maybe she should go see the therapist this week. She could be having nightmares about the ordeal." Charles sighed as his wife brought the subject up. Running a hand through his graying hair brown hair Charles gazed at his wife with his green eyes.

"Darling, the therapist said Samantha is progressing as well as can be expected. If we keep shoving her into that office every time she has a problem she'll think she's not normal. We have to wait till she asks for help or it becomes too much love. Samantha is a smart girl, and a fighter. She didn't go through hell and back just to break down now. We have to give her love and support. We should be the one's she asks for help, not some bloody therapist." He spoke softly to his wife, his hand cupping her chin and giving her a tender look. Janette returned his affection with a smile and nodded her head in agreement.

"You are right Love. I just can't help worrying about her."

"I know Sweetheart. I know." They slowly went up to the front door of the house and knocked. When Lina opened the door she gave then a smile, inviting them into the house and led them to the kitchen where Samantha was sitting at the island counter. Lina looked haggard, her hair frizzy, and her skin looked paler than normal. Her eyes looked a little sunken and dulled, her lips chapped. She gave them a bright smile and went back to cooking breakfast for Samantha. Both girls were still in their pj's, Lina putting her purple fluffy robe on while Lord Dyrmire was there. Rolling up the sleeves Lina plated the bacon and scrambled eggs.

"I wish I had known you were coming this early. I would have fixed some more food." Lina apologized, pouring Samantha a glass of orange juice.

"It's quite fine Christina. We've already eaten before coming over. I just couldn't be away from my little angel any longer. I hope you two had a good night." Lady Dyrmire said sweetly, taking a seat next to Samantha, her husband on the other side. Lady Dyrmire leaned down to place a kiss on Samantha's forehead.

"I didn't have any nightmare's last night mommy." Samantha smiled up proudly at her mother, turning to Lord Dyrmire and giving her father a hug. Lord Dyrmire gave his wife an 'I told you so' look as he returned his daughters hug.

"That's wonderful honey." Said Janette.

Lina poured herself a glass of milk and mixed in strawberry flavoring as the family unit reconnected. She wondered if she could get either parent to tell her how long the nightmares had been happening.

"Yeah, Lina made the spooky man run away last night so he didn't give me nightmares." Lina's eyes widened as Samantha announced that to her parents, looking up to meet Lady Dyrmires' eyes. The older woman gave her a small smile.

"Then I'll be sure to ask her so we can keep the spooky man away at home." The rest of the morning was simple conversations and Samantha getting ready and packing to go home. Lina put on a house dress and went about being helpful. When the boys came home at nine thirty they all gave polite hellos before slowly making their way to their rooms. Matthew stayed down to spend time with his aunt, uncle and little cousin even though he was tired from the long night at the club. Lina made Mathew a quick breakfast and started to clean the dishes. Lord and Lady Dyrmire excused Matt to go to bed. Matt gave Samantha a hug before heading upstairs to pass out. Lina escorted them to the front door.

"Lady Dyrmire…a minute please?" The older woman nodded, her husband taking Samantha to the car.

"Yes Christina?"

"I was wondering, Samantha keeps mentioning this 'spooky man' and I wanted to see if you know what she's talking about." Lina tried to make it seem like it was mild curiosity.

"I do not know much I'm afraid. All I know is that she blames this spooky man for her nightmares. She won't sleep with the light off anymore either. I have a feeling the spooky man might be her minds' way of characterizing the whole ordeal." Lina put her hand on Lady Dyrmires' shoulder to console the woman from the storm of images of the trauma Samantha experienced. Lina nodded slightly, having hoped for more helpfully information.

"How long as she been having nightmares?" Lady Dyrmire thought it over, combing the timeline of her mind for the starting point.

"She started to have these nightmares in shortly after she came home, but they've become more frequent and severe. I was hoping you would tell me how you were able to get rid of her nightmares." Lina worried her bottom lip, wanting to tell Lady Dyrmire how but knowing the older woman would think she was crazy.

"Well…I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you should let her sleep in your bed, so she feels safe when she sleeps." The older woman looked crestfallen at having no other helpful hints. "If the spooky man is what you believe Lady Dyrmire, it might just be that since I rescued her that she doesn't worry about the spooky man." Lina knew that it was a lie, but she didn't want to upset the woman any more than was necessary.

"That may be it. Thank you for watching her Christina. Have a good day." Lina waved goodbye to them before going back inside the house. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes, tired from a night without sleep and from the energy it took for her to heal the damage that thing had done to her last night. Her cell phone rang from in the kitchen, Lina groaning but moved to answer regardless. Picking up the phone she answered it automatically.

"Hello, who is this?" Lina tried to sound chipper and polite instead of snarling into the phone like she wanted. This could be a call back for a job interview and she had to make a good impression. She waited a few moments for a response. "Hello? Can you hear me?" There was still no response from the caller, not even breathing. A chill went down Lina's spine. "Is someone there? This isn't funny." She could not bring herself to hang up, something compelling her to stay on the line.

 _'You have no power here.'_ Eyes widen in disbelief Lina turned around, looking for the source of the voice. She knew she had heard the voice in her mind, but the creature had to be somewhere in the house to send it to her. She could not sense the thing in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house. Pulling the phone away from her ear she realized that it had never truly rung. The thing had tricked her! It had tricked her into answering her phone. This was not good. If the thing had penetrated her mind so quickly she could not fathom how Samantha had been fending this spirit off for so long. A burning sensation in her hand made her hiss in pain. Looking down she could mentally see the spirits' hands grabbing her arm and injuring the barely healed energy field. Mentally calling out for help Lina was relieved when Sandra came to her rescue. She felt Sandra switch places with her; now an observer in her own body and mind as the more experienced spirit of Sandra began to push the little monster off.

"Evil spirit I command you to stop. Evil spirit flee my gaze. Evil spirit return to the realm from which you came." Sandra chanted the phrases repeatedly with Lina's lips, the evil spirits' grip weakening till it let go and scampered off. Sagging against the island counter Lina panted for air, taking full control of her body back. Her hand reached up to rub at her pendant, blinking in surprise to find the trinket missing from her neck. She could not remember taking the necklace off.

"That explains it. Not enough protection. I need to find that necklace." Walking upstairs to her room Lina winced as she made noise, not wanting to wake her friends. Once back in her room Lina dashed straight for her jewelry box. She couldn't believe she wasn't wearing any protective jewelry. "I'm so stupid. I know better. I don't even remember why I took them off."

"Vlad…either the jewelry is silver or you are uncomfortable wearing those symbols around him. A lot of them are in both categories."

"Sha…I don't want to hear it, not now." Lina sighed, knowing that Sha was right. She picked up the gold chain and studied the pendant. The pendant was gold with a blue eye, the eye capable of moving in the pendant. She put it back on, breathing a sigh of relief as the weight rested on her skin once more. With the urgency removed she took the time to examine the rest of her treasures. There was a silver bracelet that had a white topaz in a setting that resembled an eye. Slipping it on she would just have to let Vlad deal with it. With those protection measures in place Lina closed up her jewelry box and made to get undressed so she could go back to bed. A ringing came to her attention and Lina slowly made her way back to her cell phone, not eager to fall for the same trick twice. "That had better be someone." Looking at the caller id she rolled her eyes, seeing that it was her mother. "There goes my nap."


	14. Rest

October 10…8pm….Vance Residence.

Alucard couldn't stop staring at Lina. She looked frail. Her skin was a sickly parlor, her lips cracked and thick dark rings around her eyes. Her hair was lackluster, and her eyes seemed dull. She tried to smile at him the best she could but winced when her lip almost cracked open and bled. He had seen some pretty terrible sights, but this one rubbed him in all the wrong ways. His disapproval of her looks must have crossed his face because she looked hurt. The grey sweatpants and over-sized red shirt did little to improve her appearance.

"Sorry I'm such a mess. I haven't slept well in days." She smelt sickly, her blood weak and he had half a mind to dump her.

"That is an understatement. You look like a ghoul." That statement would have normally set her off but instead she shrugged her shoulders and let him into the house.

"If I knew what you meant by ghoul I might be more offended. I haven't slept since the 5th. Get off my ass. You want me to look better then get me some fucking beauty sleep instead of bitching asshole." She said it all so dispassionately, sounding more exhausted than anything. She slowly made her way to the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a can of soda. Popping it open she downed the drink in a minute, tossing the can in the recycle before splashing herself with cold water from the sink. He did not like this version of her at all. Not only was she unattractive, she was uninteresting, and she was cruder. Crude he could handle, he could even handle her being unattractive, but all three at once was pushing it.

"Maybe I'll help you if you stop cursing me out you pathetic weakling." He was aggravated with her at the moment. He preferred her to at least have some emotion when she was cursing him out. A ghoul was more passionate than her at the moment. She sat down on the stool, resting her head in her hands. Alucard couldn't help but notice that she looked so delicate and small.

"Sorry…you didn't deserve that. I'm just so fucking tired Vlad…I can't sleep. The nightmares are so fucking awful. I want just a few hours of sleep. Just a few precious hours. That's not too much to ask is it?" She started to cry into her hands, her shoulders rising and falling as the tears trickled down silently. Now she was finally showing some feeling. He moved closer, putting his hand on her shoulder and patting gently. Alucard had no idea how to comfort her about her lack of sleep. She turned and pushed herself into his chest, her hands gripped his clothing. Alucard rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up bridal style. Walking upstairs Alucard entered her room, setting her down on the bed. There was a faint light that kept the room from being completely dark that he recognized as her night light. Alucard had teased her relentlessly about it before she had threatened to castrate him with toothpicks. Normally he didn't take threats from her seriously, but for some reason Alucard thought it would be best to not tempt her, after all she was dangerously close to the area at risk. Still clinging to his body, Lina's' head nestled into his neck as her arms moved to wrap around his shoulders. He could feel her tears on his skin, relenting to her unspoken demand of staying. Absent mindedly his hands rubbed along her spine, one hand releasing her hair from the less than flattering bun and running through it.

Lina stopped crying, but nuzzled closer to his body. The feeling of his fingers running through her hair felt so good, her scalp tingling in pleasure. The strong scent of freshly overturned soil, musk, and an open flame mixed together was so unique. Unable to stop herself Lina pressed her lips against the pillar of his throat. A deep rumble rose in his chest and she soon began to shower his neck with gentle kisses. Pulling back from his neck she gasped as he attacked her mouth, his tongue gliding against her lips, wetting them before diving deeper, finding her tongue and dominating it. Her body was pulled tighter against his while his other hand held her head in place so he could ravage her mouth at his leisure. A small whimper passed from Lina into his mouth. Pushing her against the mattress, Alucard's hand moved forward to caress up and down her side. He felt her pushing at his shoulders gently, reluctantly relinquishing her mouth so Lina could breathe. Her face was flushed and her lips looked better. Her eyes were starting to shine with desire.

"Vlad…" The soft, breathy way his name sounded on her lips made the blood in his body boil. A growl left his throat as he pulled her in for another kiss, his tongue tasting her mouth and keeping her tongue in line. Her fingers were suddenly running through his hair, her hips arching closer to his body. His hands moved to push her shirt up, feeling skin to skin contact. Their kiss became more passionate as his fingertips moved across her stomach, making her feel previously unknown sensations.

Lina's eyes fluttered shut as they kissed, her body feeling so alive while her energy finally felt a reprieve from the constant harassment by the 'spooky man'. The creature had been tormenting her, sending her nightmares, attacking her when she tried to take naps, and teasing her with its presence. It was stronger then she thought, and even with her protection it proved stronger still. Lina just wasn't as experienced as her other lives, but they couldn't keep helping her. She would need to acquire that book soon. Vlads' hand moved higher to cup her breast through her bra and any of her other thoughts flew out the window. The heavy weight of his hand resting on her fleshy mound made her hands slid down to tug at the buttons of his shirt. With a hungry moan he pulled away from her, discarding his coat and jacket while stripping her of the flimsy shirt. She sat up on the bed, her hands reaching behind her to pull down her hair and then moved towards the hook of her bra when she realized what she was doing.

Alucard sat on the edge of the bed, pulling away his boots and socks before removing his cravat. Turning back to look at Lina, Alucard saw her pulling the sheets up around her, suddenly self conscious about being half naked in front of him. Her hair was now draped over her shoulders and her face was flushed bright pink. Even though she looked better then she had before, Alucard felt a sudden wave of guilt. Was he about to sleep with Lina while she was obviously impaired from lack of sleep? Running a hand through his hair he moved to collect her shirt, handing it back to her. Her eyes were still painted with sheer exhaustion. Had he groped her like some lustful boy? This was shameful. He respectfully turned away as she took the shirt, expecting her to put it back on. Standing up Alucard was collecting his clothes when Lina tossed the shirt at the back of his head.

"Don't treat me like a baby." A twitch above his left eye alerted Lina that he was annoyed with her. Vlad was trying to be a gentleman and she was upset about it.

"I'm being respectful of your wishes Lina." He moved to pull his shirt back on. Lina wrapped the sheet around her and moved off the bed, stopping him from putting his clothes on.

"Vlad…please…I want you to stay with me tonight." With a sigh he looked down at her and saw the determined glint in her eye. "I am grateful that you respect me so much to stop, to feel bad about it. But I let you. If I wanted to I could have stopped you." A snide smirk crossed his lips as he moved down to look into her eyes.

"When I want something, there is no stopping me." She stared into his eyes and then sighed, putting the shirt back on, tossing her sheet onto the bed. He had wanted her to push back. Finding himself without her arguing with him, he felt like a flame with the air sucked away.

"Fine…leave…I don't care." What energy she had gained seemed to be whisked away by some sudden gust of wind as she dejectedly walked away. The facet in the bathroom was running, and he could hear her brushing her teeth plus washing her face. Something was definitely wrong with her if she was giving up only two sentences into an argument. With an uncharacteristic roll of his eyes Alucard dropped his belongings into a pile on the floor, making his way over to the bathroom door. Leaning against the doorframe he lazily watched her go about her nightly routine.

"So why do you really want me to spend the night? No woman I have ever met wanted to be intimate when they were this exhausted. If I'm not mistaken it's a woman's number one excuse to get out of sex." In mild curiosity he watched as Lina took a hand full of leave in conditioner, applying it heavily on the ends of her hair before working it up toward the scalp. A quick slide through with her fingers satisfied her need to coat every strand before her fingers collected the ends and began to coil the stands in a clockwise motion. Each twist tightened her locks into one collected mass that now was being spun in the same direction to make a spiral of hair close to her scalp. A plush purple scrunchy assisted Lina in putting her hair back into a loose bun. Turning slowly she stood a few steps away from him, looking up at him with complete childlike honesty.

"I was hoping that sleeping next to you would help stop the nightmares." His face softened, not by the words but the meaning behind them. When she had troubles she needed solved she turned to him. An embarrassed smile crossed her face. In her mind she needed to justify her logic to him. "If I don't sleep soon I'll drop dead. You do know people die faster from sleep deprivation then starvation right? It's been five days Vlad…I can't take it any more. Please…Stay the night?" Leaning closer to her Alucard put a kiss on Lina's forehead and fighting back from smiling at the way her whole face lit up. Following her back to the bed he let her pick her choice of the blankets as he shed the rest of his outerwear clothes. A shuffling sound came to his attention as he watched her squirming under the sheets. When her sweat pants and bra were dropped by her side of the bed he smirked.

"Hidden talent?" In his boxers he lounged on top of the bed, not seeing the need to get under them since he was not going to be able to sleep so early in the night.

"Yup. I can take almost any article of clothing off or put it on without exposing myself." Lina wrapped herself in the soft, silky sheets and scooted over to curl up against his body.

"Where and why did you learn how to do that?" He was looking around the room, trying to see if maybe after she passed out he could keep himself entertained.

"I started to do it when I had to change for gym class in middle school. I didn't like getting naked in front of the other girls. It comes in handy when you are camping and may not always have privacy to change." He could hear her falling asleep as she spoke.

"You like to camp?" The disbelief in his voice was understandable considering how much of a weakling he considered Lina.

"Yeah…it's so fun…one time I..." There was a thick pause where Alucard waited for the end of the sentence. When she didn't finish he glanced down and found her passed out, beyond the realm of dreams and simply in that deep sleep that granted true rest.

He could not physically leave the bed since her arm was tossed over his chest, but using his shadow manipulation he grabbed a few random books off her shelf. There were the complete works of Shakespeare, the Grimm Fairy Tales, all of Edgar Allan Poe's works, and the fourth leather bound book had no title or author. It was smaller than the other books, but he set it and the others on the side table, opening Poe's book up to the first story. A red glow was cast off from his eyes as Alucard adjusted his vision so he could read the book easily. With Lina passed out he saw no reason to control the look of his eyes. The book was old, the lettering was starting to blur and the pages felt thin in the places where fingers hand held it open and turned them. A good bet was that the book was at least thirty years old, the ink illustrations accentuating the gloomy words. He did not feel the sense of trepidation that he knew humans must feel from reading the words. However he could appreciate the poetry and images that the phrases brought to mind. Alucard had heard about Poe's works while he had been in the Hellsing family, but the books had never seemed to find a home on the library shelves of the manor. Poe must have been a very disturbed man to write these sorts of stories.

 _'...uo…ae…o...oe…'_ Alucard looked up from a particularly catchy part of the story Berenice when strange sounds came to his attention. Unable to tell what the strange sound was he listened intently, weeding out the sound of Lina breathing, the creaks that went through the house, and the scurry of creatures and Hellsing guards. At first he thought it sounded like a wind outside but when it sounded again he could distinctly hear the sound of vowels being spoken. He couldn't make out the full words or even identify if the voice was male or female. It couldn't be the other Vlad, that voice was always clear and precise, taking great pleasure in announcing his presence in Alucard's' head. This voice was trying to stay out of his ear shot, the words meant for someone else. Lina whimpered at his side, trying to cuddle closer to him. With his lack of body heat he doubted she was trying to warm up. Setting the book down he took the time to look at Lina, seeing her eyes darting around beneath her lids as her body fidgeted under the sheets. Slipping his arm around Lina's waist the fidgeting stopped, only a few shifts more for her to find a comfortable position. Alucard let his hand rest possessively on her hip, his thumb brushing back and forth across the sheet covering her flesh. Satisfied that she was no longer squirming and that the voice had stopped he resumed his reading. He was no stranger to disembodied voices. Having lived as long as he had, Alucard had his fair share of 'supernatural' experiences. Being raised in a very different era, he did not doubt the existence of ghosts and spirits, and having been a vampire for as long as he had ghosts no longer fazed him. Most ghosts went out of their way to avoid him and he had never bothered to find out why.

A small frown crossed his lips as he recalled the first time he had seen a ghost. It hadn't been till after he became a vampire that he had begun to actually see spirits. It had been such shaking experience to learn that the monsters, demons, and ghosts that he had been told stories about were walking the earth…and that he was one of them.

_Flashback…Monastery of Snagov...1447_

It was dark…unbelievably dark. His entire body felt heavy and exhausted. Blinking he wondered why there was no change in the light. His entire head felt sticky, and there was the overpowering aroma of honey and he had a splitting headache and his head felt distinctly sore. His neck was also a source of distress. He could not remember where he was or even his own name. No, he had to remember his name. Concentrating hard he pushed past the unbearable pain he was in. Vlad…Vlad… Vlad Dracula…the third…yes…that was he name. With that small piece of information in place he relaxed, much too fatigued to try and remember more. Reaching his hand upwards to rub his neck he was perplexed to feel wood blocking the range of motion he needed to reach. Feeling to the sides of his body he began to panic when he discovered himself trapped in a wooden box…a coffin! How had he ended up in a coffin? Damn it! Why couldn't he remember! A sliver of fear passed through him as a thought dawned on him. He must have been buried alive.

"Oh dear God." He pushed upward on the lid, grunting with the effort as an unimaginable weight pressed back. There was no escape without divine help. He scoffed at that. God had never helped him before, now would be no different. He would suffocate in here without air, or starve, possibly die of thirst. Any way it would not be a quick and painless death. Relaxing once more he allowed himself to close his eyes, feeling tired and needing rest.

Vlad would never know how much time passed while he was trapped in his coffin. Hunger and thirst were gnawing at his innards; his body was no longer in constant discomfort from his head and neck. By now his sight had adjusted to the extreme darkness, able to make out the grains in the wood above him. There was not much to do except try to remember who he was. Slowly a history was falling into place. The clearest memories he had were the ones of a young child, he presumed himself. He could not recall much of the time after what he guessed was his eighth year. It seemed like the memories after were too painful to recall. Pushing at the wood once more he sighed, there was still no give. He was shocked that he had yet to run out of air. Distinctly aware of the sounds in the soil surrounding his coffin he could hear the insects crawling around. If he knew no better he would swear that most of the insects were congregated around his head. With mild curiosity he pushed against the wood at the head of his coffin, surprised to find just the lightest amount of give. Looking at the spot in his dark new home he was disturbed when the image of the insects crawling through the dirt towards him came to his mind. Pulling his hands away from the wood he rested once more, a fantasy running through his mind of an escape root to the surface through the dirt into the wonderful world outside. More time passed, but every time he pressed at the wood above his head there seemed to be just a bit more give than before. Each time he would drift off to sleep he would dream of the numerous insects around him digging him an escape route to the surface. There were doubts in his mind as to his humanity, seeing as he had been trapped below ground for an unknown amount of time and had yet to die. Being locked up in the dark was nothing new to him, he knew that much. Frustration was building in him as the memories of his life refused to come to him.

The pain was gone but his head was still coated in the honey. Trying to stretch out in the confined space he was shocked when his hand punched through the wood with ease. Shutting his eyes as he expected soil to come pouring into the coffin, he was surprised as he found what felt like a hollow space in the dirt. Excitement poured through his being and he quickly scrambled into the space, finding that it continued on and to his greatest delight up. It was just like he dreams; he was finally going to escape! The sound of shifting soil around him frightened him. What if this miracle collapsed on him? He pushed to climb faster to the surface, eager to greet what he hoped would be the night. After so long in darkness he doubted he would handle seeing the light of day so suddenly. One final push upward and he gasped as air greeted him. Looking around he hissed in pain as his eyes had to adjust to the light. Slowly he was able to open his eyes, seeing that sky was filled with stars. It was awe-inspiring…there were just so many stars, and all different colors, shapes, sizes, and he could see ribbons of color surrounding certain grouping of stars. Even though he could not remember his life, Vlad knew in his heart that this sight had never been seen by mortal eyes. What puzzled him was how he was able to stand after so long without any difficulty. Hunger and thirst that seemed to be one and the same poured upon him in one powerful wave, quickly bringing him to his knees and causing him such agony that he would never even wish upon even his worst enemies.

Blood…he needed blood. He craved it, and this unholy pain would not leave until he had it. A wild black dog barked friendly at him, running in circles around him as if expecting him to play. Moving to sit on his knees he motioned the dog over, the dog not showing any signs of hesitation and licking at his face. Vlad had captured the dog and ripped its throat open with his bare teeth. When the crimson liquid hit his tongue he moaned in rapture that was greater than anything he had ever experienced. Drinking greedily from the poor beast he felt his bare teeth start to change. His teeth were sharpening, his canine fangs growing longer and sharper than the rest. When the body was completely drained and his sanity returned, Vlad felt guilt over having killed the creature that had hoped for the love and affection it must have associated with a human master. It was defenseless against him; it was completely unsporting to have killed it. But what was done was done. An idea came to him. The dog could be given a proper burial, and what better grave than the one he had just left. Crawling back into the soil with the body in tow, Vlad pushed it inside and sealed up what he could of the coffin to try and protect the remains from the insects that had given him the tunnel to freedom. Crawling once more to the surface and no longer overcome with the need for blood Vlad took in his surroundings. He was in the middle of an open field a few yards away from a small building that he assumed was a church from all the crosses. He could smell water nearby, wanting to wash the long dried honey from his head and examine his reflection. Stumbling to the waters edge he kneeled, cupping his hands and bringing the water to his lips. The liquid did not bring him any comfort but he continued with the habit anyway. Plunging his head into the water, he began to scrub at his hair vigorously, trying to wash the damned honey away. It was pointless without soap but at least some came away from his face. Shaking his head like a dog he tried to get the water off. Sitting there on the shore of the lake he looked out over the water, amazed by just how far he could see.

It was so peaceful, the sounds of the night, he could listen to them forever. After a while he stood up and walked around the island, finding a small raft that would support his weight. As much as it bothered him, he would need to steal the raft to get to shore and find someone that could explain what the hell had become of him. An instinct told him to find someone that was not a member of the church.

Finally he returned to the place where he had emerged from the earth, something inside him prompting him to find soil to fill the gaping hole. Searching the grounds he found a shovel and wheelbarrow. Moving so that he made no sound Vlad collected the two items and moved to the shore of the island, scooping the wet soil into the wheelbarrow and then transporting that back to the hole and shoveling it in. When he had filled the hole up high enough he tried to make the items look the same as when he had taken them. Searching around the grounds he found patches of grass and uprooted them, placing them over the freshly overturned soil and trying hard to make them blend in. Satisfied with the results he silently stole away through the shadows toward the raft. Covered in mud and dirt he stepped onto the raft and slowly began to push his way toward the closest part of the shore. When he landed on the shore he pushed the raft back out into the waters of the lake, hoping that would make it look like the raft had simply drifted away. Keeping low to the ground Vlad moved away from the homes towards the forest, something inside him leading him there. Once amongst the cover of trees and shadows he stood upright, stretching out his body to free it from the kinks in his joints. There was a faint whispering up ahead of him, his feet moving him closer and closer towards the source. Close to a mile away he could make out the figures huddled together.

His eyes widened in terror. There were rotting corpses and disgusting little creatures huddled together. Those were the monsters he had been warned about his whole childhood, his mother and the nurse maids would threaten that if he didn't behave he would be taken away and eaten. If he had ever seen these creatures as a child he would have behaved like a saint. Instead of turning to run away from them as his mind urged him to do, his feet continued forward drawn by some unexplainable force. An alarming thing was that he could not feel his heartbeat. There was no rush of blood, no pounding in his ears… there was nothing. If meeting these creatures would not stir his heart, what ever would? The creatures turned to look at him, their red, piercing eyes boring into his own. It was a tense moment as he waited for something. Suddenly a hag came from the center of the group and pushed the creatures before him aside, making space for him to join the circle. Stepping in to the space the hag nodded in approval, moving back to her position in the center. Looking down he noticed the hag had no legs; in fact her entire lower half looked like smoke, levitating her above the ground. This terrible array of creatures was gathered at the fork in the roads that lead toward human settlements. A translucent figure was floating across from him, simply a humanoid shape with no face, just a black swirl.

"Fellow Strigoi and spirits… On this night, what havoc do we plan to reek upon the living?" The hag spoke, her eyes peering around the group, waiting for an answer. Vlad stepped back from the circle, unwilling to join rank with these repulsive creatures. The entire circle turned to look at him as he stepped back, the hag moving forward to pull him back in rank with the others. How dare this hag touch him? He pulled away from the hag and stepped farther away. "Strigoi come back to the circle." This hag was ordering him. A smirk crossed his lips.

"I will not hag. I am not the same as these pitiful monsters. I am Vlad Dracula the third, and I will take no orders from something less than I." The hag hissed and spat at him, moving once more into the circle as the creatures moved to exclude him. Vlad wiped his face of the spit, and moved back into the shadows of the forest, a solitary figure in the darkness.

_End Flashback_

Coming out of his reverie Alucard noticed that he was still holding the book as his hand continued to rest on Lina's hip. Looking at the burgundy colored curtains Lina had put over her window he could feel sunrise coming. Putting the books back on the shelf he phased through the blankets on the bed, trying his hardest to not disturb Lina. Resting his head on the pillow he let out a sigh, his eyes closing. Before he slipped off into his sleep he felt Lina nuzzle closer to him, her hand splayed over his chest and her head moving to rest on his shoulder. A slight stinging sensation on his side came to his attention. His hand moved to gently grab Lina's wrist, glaring at the silver bracelet. Smoothly he turned her onto her other side, pulling her back against his chest, spooning her to keep her from whimpering.

\---------------------------

October 11…11:23 a.m.

Sean and the wolves from were perched once more on the rooftop overlooking the house Lina was staying. After Phil had not returned the other wolves had become very silent and somber, waiting on word of their pack member. Sean knew he had to do something, so here he was with the others to sniff out what happened to their fellow wolf. Carefully they all slipped into the alleyways and streets, discretely sniffing for any sign of Phil. Sean caught it first, following it to the alleyway across from Lina's place and finding the scent of fear, blood, and that male! Sean called the others and they all sniffed the area, the hairs on the back of their neck standing on end at the amount of Phil's blood they could smell but not see. When they couldn't find any further trail from Phil they all started to track the male's scent, finding that it too vanished.

"Man, what the fuck, this guy's scent is only here. There's no trail leading to or away from this spot. The bastard couldn't have just appeared here." Jack was pacing, the other wolves looking just as agitated. Sean punched Jack to the floor, stooping the pacing and asserting his dominance with them.

"Then go across the street you dumbass and get the scent of his motorcycle tires. The tires have to have a continuous trail. We follow them to his house, and then get this bastard for whatever he did to Phil." He kicked Jack to punctuate his command, the others moving across the street till they could follow a scent. A grin spread over Sean's lips, following his pack away from the danger zone of guards and towards the male Lina was dating so he could kill him. The scent was difficult to trace considering the fact they had to filter out everything else on busy urban streets. It took over four hours to find the male's home, having followed the scent all over London practically. They were now standing outside a large chunk of property with a high stone wall. The area gave him the creeps, but if he could get Lina back, he would go in and kill the asshole keeping them apart. He ordered the others to stay as lookouts as he quickly hopped the stone wall. On the other side of the wall he was greeted by the sight of a barren wasteland, the grounds covered in dead plants and insects of every kind crawling all over. Looking at the building Sean could not imagine anyone living there. But the man's scent was all over the place, so he had to investigate at least. Sniffing around he found that most of the building was falling apart and the rooms coated in thick layers of dust. Searching each room he was frustrated that he could not find the man. About to give up he felt a tingle of fear go down his spine. Fighting down his discomfort Sean made his way to the last room, the large double doors making him feel small. Using his strength Sean pushed the doors open, his ears ringing as the wood cricked loudly. Looking around the room he noticed the corner draped with a canvas tarp. He moved over to it and lifted it up, confused as to why there were crates filled with dirt just stacked in a room. Turning away from the boxes, he looks around, seeing something black under what was left of the roof. Sean noticed that this area looked like a chapel, and this black thing was resting where the alter should have been.

"What the hell is a coffin doing out here in the open?" Sean looked it over, the area around it seeming darker than the rest of the room. It was so long, the black finish on it appeared darker than any he had ever seen before. "The Bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame. What does that mean?" Leaning closer to the coffin he sniffed, finding that the man's scent seemed to have soaked into the very atoms of this casket. A lump of dread made itself at home in his gut. With shaking hands Sean opened the coffin, his eyes wide open. When the lid was open, he was staring into an empty box, the inside painted a sinister black. He had expected the man to be inside, but there was nothing. With a snort he slammed the lid shut and called for the others, not caring about the look out any more. The other wolves made their way inside timidly, all their eyes fixated on the ominous object.

"Boss…what is the guy's name? Cause I got a really bad feeling about this." Jack said, trying to not whimper as he looked around him.

"The jackass never said. What is this address?" Sean was piecing this together slowly. The man was telepathic; his home was a shit hole with a coffin, and boxes of dirt.

"Um…Carfax Abbey." One of the wolves piped up helpfully. The light bulb went off in Sean's mind, and then that feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach exploded. His sweet Lina was dating a vampire, and not any vampire, the king of vampires! That explained everything! She wasn't being all cozy with the man because she was a slut; it was because that unholy creature was controlling her mind! That vampire was trying to turn his sweet innocent mate into an unholy bride of the darkness. He would not let that happen, as a Catholic it was his duty to save her soul from the demon and he would. He would rescue her and she would run into his arms and bear his pups.

"Boys, change in the mission. My mate is in danger and we need to save her. We can not let Dracula take her. From now on we keep our noses clean and work to free her from this monster before he turns her into a filthy vampire like himself." The other wolves looked at their alpha like he had just dived into the deep end.

"Um…Alpha…how do you know that the guy is Dracula? I mean, that was just a book." Sean knew because when he had first met Lina, he had listened to her drone on about the vampire for hours at a time, only half listening to her arguments for why the historical Dracula would be a vampire, despite all the evidence he had given to prove her wrong. When he saved her Sean would never doubt her ever again, even when he knew he was right.

"I just know man. Now help me destroy those boxes over there. He killed Phil and he's stealing my mate. Let's give him a taste of just who he picked a fight with." The other wolves had bad feelings in the pit of their stomachs, but they had to obey. The tarp was shredded and they carried the crates out into the yard, smashing the wood and tossing the soil everywhere. It was getting close to sundown and the wolves became very aware of the fact that the vampire would come back and not be happy about what they had done. Sean went back into the chamber where the coffin, lay, glaring down at it. His claws grew and a stupid idea crossed his mind. He leaned down and started to carve into the evil vampires' resting place. The other werewolves saw what he was doing, scampering away from the property, uncaring about the beating they would get from Sean, more terrified about the vampire catching them. With a final deep scratch into the wood Sean spat on the spot Dracula's head would rest and made his way off the property.

\-------------------

Vance Home…6 p.m.

Alucard jerked awake in Lina's bed, a pained hiss escaping his throat and he dashed to stand on the balcony, letting out a terrifying yell that struck fear into the people of the neighborhood. The sun had set, the world growing dark quickly. Alucard knew something had happened to his beautiful coffin, to his profane resting place. It was calling out to him, urging him to come and right the wrongs that had befallen it. He needed to return to his coffin now! He summoned his clothes to his body as he turned into a mass of squeaking bats, flying in a cloud over the city as quickly as he could back to Carfax. He rushed into the chapel, barely forming legs as he knelt down next to his most precious possession.

No…his coffin. His beautiful, wonderful, perfect coffin…it was violated! His fingers could barely trace over the deep, heartless claw marks without trembling. This was beyond low. His eyes blazed red and he let loose his control. His hair was a wild, writhing, living mass of shadows. He let out a war cry, his energies reaching out into the overcast skies and his hatred pouring into the clouds, darkening them with his anger and forcing them to gather, creating hail and thunderstorm. He would find that little shit of a werewolf and destroy his very soul! As the hail, lightning, and rain began an assault on the completely unprepared city he walked out into the gardens, seeing that the earth from his homeland had been tossed everywhere. There would be a slaughter for this!

Chapter End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! That was chapter fourteen! I hope you all loved it as much as I enjoyed writing it, especially the flashback for Vlad. I had to do research on his death to try and keep it as close to the historical record without making it impossible for him to become a vampire.


	15. Mad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing, especially the music of Queen. I do own the Dracula sound track on CD, but not the rights, those still belong to the studio.

Vance home…6:15 p.m.

Lina slowly woke up after Vlad left, stretching out her body as a cat like grin slid across her lips. A gust of wind came through the room, startling Lina who hadn't realized the window was open. The curtains fluttering in the chilled air made the entire room feel vulnerable. She looked around the room, scanning to see if anything had come in through the doors. The contented smile fell from her lips as she found herself in bed alone. All of Vlad's clothing was gone and there was no note. He must have left through her balcony. Picking up her cell phone from the table on her side of the bed Lina gasped as she realized she had slept for close to twenty four hours. A sudden burst of thunder startled Lina, making her jump from the bed, her legs still tangled in the sheets and she nearly fell to the floor. Turning on the light Lina studied the room, it suddenly seeming very empty and quiet.

"At least I got some sleep." Tossing the sheets back onto the bed Lina made her way to the balcony, shivering at the drop in temperature and the sudden darkness that was cast in the sky. A voice in her ear whispered that Vlad had something to do with the savage weather. Turning back into her room she narrowly avoided getting hit as a torrent of hail passed over head. Closing the windows and securing the lock Lina moved to pull out some clothes, deciding that she wanted to shower and get dressed.

After an hour spent under a hot stream of water Lina stepped out to towel off. Wiping the fog off the mirror she was amazed at how much healthier she looked. Her skin was back to its normal complexion, her hair looking a bit fuller, and the dark rings under her eyes almost gone. Pulling out her chapstick and applying it she was relieved that her lips were not burning.

"We should sleep with him more often; it's cheaper than a day at the spa." Lina rolled her eyes at the reflection in the mirror, grabbing a brush and starting to work through her hair.

"Sandra…I need you all to be focusing on helping fight off that nasty spirit, not thinking about what's in Vlad's pants." The version of her in the mirror pouted. Sandra looked to be in her twenties, her skin pale and her hair a waterfall of chocolate brown locks that curled at the ends. Sandra in the mirror wore a fancy corset and a high end petticoat. Lina rolled her eyes at Sandra, knowing that she didn't wear that outfit unless she was planning something naughty.

"I can't help it, he has such large pants. I just hope he has the right size. Maybe a tight fit. A very tight fit." The girl in the mirror licked her lips as if thinking of a tasty treat.

"Yes Sandra, I'm sure he's got a big dick. And before you even think of it, stop. If I suspect you girls are up to no good I'll put you all to sleep." The girl in the mirror gave a pout and the image returned to that of Lina's own reflection. With a sigh of relief Lina began to hum a tune as she finished brushing her hair. Putting on her underwear, Lina struggled to get the dark blue jeans up her still damp legs. Buttoning them she put deodorant on before spraying herself with a few squirts of sweet pea body spray. She gently ran her fingers through her hair, enjoying the slight swirls in her hair before using mousse to give her hair a heavily curled look. Something compelled her to put makeup on. Lina put on a pink lip-gloss, with light silver eyeshadow, and mascara. Lastly she slipped on her shirt. It was a lavender shirt with long sleeves, pink lace lining the v-neck. Satisfied with her look she slipped the lip-gloss into her jean pocket in case she needed touch ups. Down stairs she greeted her housemates, wondering in the back of her head if Vlad had taken his motorcycle with him. Considering the way he had left her window open, she doubted it. Steve took the seat to her right as his brother Kyle sat on her left. Matt and Seth were across from her on the island, passing her a plate so she could join in on four boxes of pizza.

"Lina, first time we've seen you all day. So…where is your boyfriend? We had to put his bike in the shed to keep it from being thrashed by the storm." Seth asked with mild interest. Seth was not bother by her dating the older man, enjoying all the juicy gossip they shared about him instead. Lina picked up a slice covered in pepperoni and cheese. Taking a bite Lina had to think of an excuse for the big lug's absence. She couldn't very well say 'He turned into a bat and flew off my balcony.'

"I don't know. I think there was an emergency. He just left without a word. It was probably some work for him or something. He probably didn't want to take his bike and ruin it." She took another bite, loving the hot cheesy goodness. She opened a pack of garlic and dumped it onto her slice. She was going to have to brush her teeth again after this.

"What does Vlad do for a living?" Matt asked. Matt was treating her dating Vlad like a real businessman. As long as it wasn't affecting the flow of business, it was okay.

"He worked for Director Wingates, and now I think he is freelance or something like that. But he keeps bragging about being the best she had." There was a sudden silence in which Lina kept nibbling at her slice, four sets of eyes focused on her.

"So…you are dating a special forces operative from the people in charge of stalking us?" Kyle asked slowly, suspicion clear in his voice.

"Guys…I already had this fight with Vlad. He's not dating me for work. Remember when he came in here with me for breakfast. We went for a date on the beach and Director Wingates had him arrested, dragged us back to her headquarters and interrogated him for a few hours. That's why he slept over; he was exhausted from driving his bike and the interview." She finished her pizza slice and reached for one with BBQ chicken, once more dumping garlic on.

"Well…guess that explains why he gives me the creeps. He has to be creepy to compete with the shit he has to hunt down." Steve said begrudgingly. He hated to admit that being a monster hunter was actually kind of cool. They fell back into more playful conversation, mostly focusing on how they should buy some more remotes and games for Lina's PS3 so they could play some of those games together. The PS3 had come with her from Cali, but since she had been so busy with school she had no time to play it. The boys asked if she wanted to come to the club tonight with them.

"Maybe later guys…I want to see if Vlad will come back. If he's not back here by 10 I'll join you guys." There was a knock at the door, and Lina went to answer it. A man stood there with his jacket pulled over his head, shielding the back of his neck from the hail. A long blond braid was wrapped around this man's neck like a scarf, a cowboy hat, and an eye patch made this man look like he had walked out of a little boy's adventure book. "Um…can I help you?"

"Hello there Miss…" He looked down at a slip of paper he held in his hand. "Khayam is it? I am Captain Bernadette, one of your new body guards from…" He glanced down at the paper again. "Director Wingates. I will be protecting you from the things that go bump in the night." Lina felt like he had just tried to cop a feel without even reaching out toward her. She gave him a false smile.

"Okay…one minute. I'll be right back." Then closed the door and ran back into the kitchen, leaving the man out in the storm.

"Hey guys…I think I'll be coming after all…my new bodyguard is giving me some perv vibes."

\------------------------------

Hellsing Manor….7:30 p.m.

"Walter…Do you think Alucard had anything to do with the weather." Integra was looking out over the yard, glaring out at the hail and lightning. She said it dryly, knowing that the vampire's powers were the only possible way for this storm to have appeared without warning tonight. She had always been wary of the vampire, but tonight, seeing what he could do to the very elements themselves, she had to suppress a shiver. Walking over to the portrait of Abraham Van Helsing, Integra reached up a hand to trace the engraved plaque. "How on earth did you find the courage to face such a monster?"

"Speaking of the vampire Sir Integra…Alucard is on his way here…in a fury if I must say. I suggest we have the troops stand down so I can deal with him instead of risking the new recruits. I have dealt with him before." Integra did not let her worry cross her face. Walter was the closest thing to family she had. She nodded her approval and pressed the intercom, ordering all troops to take cover and let Alucard through. Walter went to retrieve his special gloves that his wires were connected too. Integra loaded her gun with the silver bullets, saying a quick prayer as she moved to stand on the top of the staircase, watching the large doors. Walter was already at the base of the stairs, getting his wires ready for the No Life King. The doors didn't stand a chance against Alucard. A firm swift kick sent wood shards flying across the room. The heavy doors swung open, dangling off the hinges and a large portion in the middle missing from the impact. Instead of the man in red it was a disgusting mass of writhing insects, eyes, shadows, and multiple sets of shark like mouths with long dog tongues hanging out. Integra couldn't stop the gasp of horror as the monster moved swiftly into the center of the room, stopping in front of Walter and seemed to be slowly changing back into a humanoid form. Alucard looked at them, his bottom half still a mass of unspeakable repulsive sights.

"Vlad…what is the meaning of this!" Integra figured now was not be the time to tease him about the identity. Instead of an answering Alucard parted his shadows to reveal his coffin for her and Walter, his eyes blazing and gusts of wind bringing sheets of hail into the foyer. Integra could hear windows cracking as the hail pelted them, she had a feeling that every window repair service would be very busy tomorrow.

"My Coffin…that boy touched My coffin…I want his soul…" Each word held the promise of unspeakable torture, a dark, evil promise that he would delight in fulfilling. The toxin that saturated each syllable could practically be seen oozing from his fangs. Hesitantly Integra and Walter let their gazes travel to the black box, instantly understanding why Alucard was in such a bad mood. The once impressive coffin had crude scratch marks on every side. Flipping the lid open it was clear to see a large shining glob of spit, and the largest message scrawled across the entire length of the lid. 'LEAVE MY BITCH ALONE YOU WORTHLESS VAMPIRE!' Alucard slammed the lid shut. Slowly, very slowly, the monstrosity of shadows seemed to be absorbed back into Alucard's flesh, the storm still raging outside the manor. Alucard kicked his ruined coffin towards Walter at the base of the stairs. "Get me a new one…I won't sleep were that mongrels' spit has been." Walter had to leap onto the staircase to avoid the wooden missile as it collided with the first marble step, the coffin exploding into a myriad of fragments. Both Walter and Integra had to take cover as the pieces showered down upon the entire room. When it was safe they looked toward Alucard, not surprised to find the room empty. Dusting the sawdust off of their clothes Integra and Walter surveyed the damage done to the Manor. A loud cracking sound rang out, a gust of wind and hail bringing with it a shower of glass as a window finally succumbed to the unrelenting storm.

"He's paying for every bloody window! Look at this place! Wood everywhere! Get all the men in the barracks up here so they can go board up the windows Walter. He can't just storm, and I do mean storm, in here demanding things and then leave this mess! England can't handle him throwing these kinds of fits. Get him a new box and ship his overgrown ass back to his bloody castle in Romania!"

"Yes Sir Integra, I'll call all the troops immediately." Walter walked over to the intercom, putting out the order that all troops not on active duty were to come up to headquarters and begin boarding up every window against the storm. Seras came up from the dungeons, gasping as she looked over the foyer.

"What happened here?" Integra turned her anger on Seras, her eyes ice cold and glaring.

"Your master is what happened! Get to work on cleaning this mess up! I want every single shard of wood cleaned off! The entire room Private Victoria! From the floor all the way to the ceiling! I want it done by morning!" Integra walked towards her bedroom, needed to change out of her suit, the wood practically engrained in the fabric. "He's also getting the dry cleaning!" She shouted back, wood falling off her clothes as she went.

Seras looked around the room and nearly screamed herself, realizing she would have to actually try to stand on the ceiling to pick out some of the splinters. Looking across the room at Walter gave her a small sympathetic smile. A small twang sound came to both of their attentions, looking up at the crystal chandelier. Both of them took cover as it came plummeting to the ground, the sound of all the crystal shattering was heartbreaking, bringing with it an chilling reminder that this was the kind of destruction Alucard could really do. No doubt Integra would add it and the floor onto Alucard's tab.

\------------------------

October 13…1 p.m….Vance Home

"Meteorologists are still baffled by the unexplained hail storm, leaving us all to wonder if maybe Global Warming is a larger threat than was previously believed. Property damage in the city of London alone is estimated to be around a few million dollars. They predict that the storm will continue some time into early next week." The male news anchor said, turning towards his female counterpart for her report.

"The homeless of London have suffered the most from the storm. The storm has claimed as many as ninety lives so far, most dead from hypothermia while others pelted to death by the hail. All homeless are encouraged to seek shelter in a warm place and to please go to the hospital if they should exhibit any signs of hypot-" Lina clicked the power button off, not feeling in the mood to listen to the depressing story. The windows were boarded up with wooden planks, but still you could hear the hail smashing itself against the plywood, clashes of thunder making her fidget. She wasn't scared of lightning storms, just the opposite, she loved them. She loved to watch the lightning dance across the sky and hear the powerful clap of thunder, feeling it radiate through her body and into the very soil of the earth beneath her feet. It made her feel an ultimate high of being aware of her own insignificance in the grand scheme of things, and yet so close to the power of something greater than herself. The hail had lightened slightly since it had started, but she still wasn't daring enough to leave the house. She doubted even Sean and his werewolves would risk being pelted with the small little ice balls from hell. Deep down she knew that Vlad was somehow connected to the storm, but she didn't want to even fathom the amount of power he must have to achieve the Zeus like status creating this storm gave him. Her classes for today had been cancelled, the professors not eager to try and drive through this weather. The Jack Skellington pj's matched well with her black socks.

Getting up from the couch she went into the kitchen, turning down the stove top as the tea kettle whistled. The smell of jasmine, honeysuckle, and hummingbird sage filled her senses, even though she enjoyed the smell and she had to refrain from dumping sugar into her cup to sweeten the tea to her untrained palate. She was not fond of tea, but she needed something to help her focus and build up her spiritual strength if she planned on banishing the evil spirit before Halloween. The boys were upstairs in Matt's room, discussing how best to promote the week long festivities they were hosting at the club to celebrate. She had already charted out the best night for banishing the little pest; she just needed that book and all her spiritual energy collected and ready. The evil spirit had not bothered her since the storm started and she couldn't find a reason why. The internet could only tell you so much. That creepy Frenchman who was working for Director Wingates had also been scarce, not that she minded. Back in the living room she set the tea down a safe distance from her laptop, closing out the other screens and opening up her music, selecting songs to go on a random playlist. The first song that popped up was the intro song for the Bram Stoker's Dracula movie, making Lina giggle a bit at the irony. Just before the climatic part of the song a brutal bang rang through the bottom floor from the front door. Lina hesitantly went over to open it, as she turned the knob she could hear the song still playing, building suspense in the entire moment, her nerves were fraying as the tension built with the notes, her heart beating faster as the knock came once more. She couldn't handle it, throwing the door open as the music reached its crescendo and seeing Vlad there in the doorway, a red trench coat billowing around him with the wind, his boots shimmering at bit in the hallway light like armor, his eyes staring straight into hers, his very presence screaming death and his wet hair being whipped around his aristocratic face, his handsome features sculpted into a look that made the hail seem like warm summer rain. Lina went still like a doe in the headlights. Her legs numb and she swore she could only hear that music as he stepped closer to her, eyes rolling back in her head as her mind reached its threshold for his dominating presence.

Alucard saw her eyes widen suddenly, could hear her heart beating and then knew before her eyes had even flickered that she was about to faint. He nearly let her collapse to the floor, catching her at the last second and shutting the door behind him, the lock clicking into place. He was still in a foul mood if the storm outside wasn't enough of a hint. He looked her over dismissively, shrugging out of his coat and setting it on the hooks near the door. The floor surrounding the door was covered by a large, dirty cloth, shoes laid off to the side, puddles of water demonstrating the need for the cloth. Out of his boots, he entered the living room, letting Lina flop onto the cushions as he sat in the armchair, alone. He had come looking for his cell phone and his cravat, realizing he had left those behind with her. Music came to his attention from her computer, and he hit the mute button with his shadows, not in the mood to listen. He sat there and watched her prone form, nearly snarling at her as she finally came too.

"Good evening…I've come for my belongings." Lina nearly fainted all over again at the horrible way he said it. If she didn't know any better she would swear he was about to drag her from the house and toss her onto a spike. She curled up on the couch, covering herself with the throw blanket, hoping for any kind of protection against the icy rage he was directing at her. "Weakling, do I frighten to the point where you have lost your ability to walk or speak. You should be frightened of me. After what that little shit of a boyfriend you have did to me, you are lucky I have not killed you." Lina recoiled even more on the couch from him as he stood to deliver his cruel words, each word brought him one stride closer to her, and then he leaned in, barely keeping his eyes or fangs concealed. He was glaring into her human eyes, seeing her chocolate depths soaked with fear. The brown eyes instantly switched to a cold, pale green as the entire set of her face turned from fear into annoyance. Lina even seemed to feel older as he kept staring down at her. Not the nineteen year old girl he knew, but a creature maybe older than himself, a superior confidence that would not be shaken by his show of power.

"Vlad…that little shit of a boyfriend I have…is YOU. We've been dating. If you have done something to yourself that has put you in this foul a mood, I recommend paying a visit to a doctor." She seemed to slip out from under him and stood on the other side of the room, staring back at him with a look of boredom. "What exactly did you leave here Vlad?"

"My phone and my cravat." She nodded, heading upstairs without another would to him as she searched her room for his items. The phone was under the bed, while the cravat had managed to find a place under her pillow. That explained the lack of nightmares. Returning down stairs she put them in his outstretched hands, watching as he tied the cravat with practiced ease. "Thank you." Vlad seemed a little embarrassed about his behavior, she had a point. He was the one courting her.

"Don't mention it…and don't come back either." He looked up at her in confusion.

"Excuse me?" She sat down in the seat he had occupied before, sipping from her tea and looking tired with his existence.

"Was I unclear Vlad? I said don't come back. You come barging over here in a huff, demand things of me like I'm your fucking maid, and then threaten me. As far as I see it. You and Sean are the same kind of guy. He started doing this same exact shit to me and then came the beatings. I am putting my foot down and ending this before I give you the chance to be violent. Get out, we are finished. And don't let the door hit you." She took a sip from her tea and ignored him, turning her lap top toward her on the table so she could open a web page. He stood there in shock. She was dumping him, and she had compared him to the wolf!

"You think I'm the same as that wolf. No my dear. I am much, much worse." He had stalked back over to her, bracing himself on the arms of the couch and caging her in effectively. "That wolf is nothing compared to me. Yes I have a temper. Yes I demand things of you…" His face was inches from her, His lips feeling her light breaths. One of his hands moved from the arm of the chair to move with a slithering motion up her arm, gripping her shoulder. "I threaten you." He leaned in even more, his mouth too close to her throat for comfort, his words caressing her ear with sin soaked seduction, his tongue darting out to lick at the base of her throat, enjoying the way he was able to manipulate her so easily. She tilted her neck just a barely detectable amount to give his tongue more access. "But my dear, I will never strike you unless you beg for me to. I have more effective means of getting you to behave." Before she could retort he dominated her mouth hungrily, crushing her body to his demandingly. She could feel his anger through their kiss, whimpering weakly as her body flared to life and she moaned, her eyes shutting and her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders. He waited till she was squirming up against him before he pulled away, giving her an evil smirk as she sat there in a daze, her body craving more that he would not give her. "A man that raises his hand to a woman is no man at all. Now move so I can sit down, and be a good girl and get me the remote. I want to watch TV." He was still in a bad mood, but watching her flounder between obeying him and fighting back was a tad amusing. Instead she folded to him, doing as he asked, but with a huff of anger and sitting on the far end of the couch after she had done what he requested of her. He let her pout, the hail slowing outside. He had been miserable since he had rid himself of his coffin, having nowhere to rest. He had roamed the streets of London, feeding off many of the lowlifes he had found, while investigating the whereabouts of the Lycan pack. So far he knew they were definitely not in the city limits. He set the remote down and sat there brooding, spending his energy on the storm instead of chasing Lina through the house with his shadows. He wanted to grab her by the throat and just tell her he was a vampire. She kept darting glances at him from the couch, shifting in the uncomfortable, ominous silence.

An hour went by with only the sounds of hail, thunder, and Lina's fingers typing at the keyboard disturbing the peace. Lina went upstairs, disappearing for a full thirty minutes and he honestly didn't care, but when she came back down stairs in a black, flowing, mid thigh skirt and a tight bright pink top that dipped low in the front he was a little interested. The ballet like slippers made her look like she was going dancing. She ignored his look, kneeling on the floor as she seemed to be searching for something on the computer. The makeup on her face looked like she had painted it on for a performance. The silver, pinks, and black mimicked her clothes, her eyes dramatic with shimmering gloss on her lips, the black liner giving her eyes the emphasis to bring out the almond shape. The gloss made her lips look plumper than normal, and oh so kissable. "Did you get all dolled up for me?" He asked, keeping his voice in the dispassionate tone he had. She gave a small shrug, the bun still keeping her hair in order. She tapped a button and sipped from her cup, staying on the balls of her feet as she started to sway to the music, quietly singing along with the male voice.

"When the outside temperature rises…And the meaning is oh so clear…One thousand and one yellow daffodils…Begin to dance in front of you-oh dear…Are they trying to tell you something…You're missing that one final screw…You're simply not in the pink my dear…To be honest you haven't got a clue" Her body twirled slowly and she moved across the room, She moved her hands slowly up and pulled the hair tie off. A twirl made her hair drift down from the tight spiral, the ends bouncing as they kept the big, soft curls from being tied up for so long. The look she gave him from the corner of her eyes mid twirl made him sit back, watching her little show with his hands laced together on his stomach. He stretched his legs out, crossing them at the ankles.

"I'm going slightly mad…I'm going slightly mad…It finally happened – happened…It finally happened - ooh oh…It finally happened…I'm slightly mad…Oh dear" A smile spread across her lips as she sang along, her voice getting louder, and he realized that she actually had a pleasant singing voice. Most of the time when she sang, she would be completely off key and bellowing out to try and be heard over the rushing winds on his motorcycle. If she went to a voice teacher she would sing beautifully.

"I'm one card short of a full deck…I'm not quite the shilling…One wave short of a shipwreck…I'm not my usual top billing…I'm coming down with a fever…I'm really out to sea…This kettle is boiling over…I think I'm a banana tree…Oh dear" She seemed to be dancing her way over to him. Lina playfully fell across his lap at the mention of a wave, and tossed her hand over her forehead with the fever. Sitting up in his lap, Lina played with the ends of Vlad's hair before she slipped from his lap to twirl back towards the center of the room.

"I'm going slightly mad…I'm going slightly mad…It finally happened – happened…It finally happened - uh huh…It finally happened…I'm slightly mad…Oh dear. Ooh ooh ah ah…Ooh ooh ah ah…I'm knitting with only one needle…Unraveling fast it's true…I'm driving only three wheels these days…But my dear how about you" She was once more in his lap, and she straddled his waist, looking up at him while her fingers invaded his space bubble by combing through his hair. He didn't react to her, simply moving so he was still comfortable while she moved onto him. Inside he was grinning, resisting his urge to make her straddle something farther south than his waist.

"I'm going slightly mad…I'm going slightly mad…It finally happened…It finally happened - oh yes…It finally happened…I'm slightly mad…Just very slightly mad" She undid his cravat once more, twirling it like a ribbon above her head, whispering in his ear and she nipped at his lobe.

"And there you have it" She kissed his lips sweetly and giggled as she made to move off his lap. A gasp left her lips as her wrists were bound behind her back, a strong hand keeping her hips in place.

"Hey! Untie me right now Vlad." He let out a dark chuckle and ignored her, securing her wrists and letting his fingers trace up her spine.

"I think you look better like this." He was smirking, the way he had tied her wrists forcing her chest to puff out and her shit tighter on her breasts. She glared at him, wriggling to try and get her wrists out. "Try all you want, I'm an expert at restraints…among other things." The last part he whispered huskily in her ear, his hand on the back of her head pulling her down closer to him. Lina blushed as she caught the sexual overtones, looking away from him. Lina hadn't really thought out what his reaction would be to the little dance she did, but it was definitely turning into one of her daydreams. Tilting her head just a bit she flashed the base of her neck to him, literally flirting with death. "You are enjoying this. I can tell. The way your breathing gets shallower, the way you squirm ever so slightly in my hands…" A shiver traveled down her spine as Vlad dragged his fingers down her throat, down her chest, lingering on the swell of her breasts and then further, further. Lina yelped and shut her thighs, whimpering as he laughed darkly at her reaction to his hand moving down her waist towards her inner thighs. "Don't play coy now my dear, you started this, at least let me show you how to finish." His dark, husky voice was thick with his accent and she bit her lip to stop herself from telling him she wanted him to. His hand travelled back up to her hair, running his fingers through it before gripping firmly and tilting her head further, bringing her closer to his mouth and licking at the skin, feeling her pulse quickening. Lina felt her mind swimming at his behavior, shuddering as it made her blood warm up with desire and she almost moaned out for him to do it, her body uncaring of the repercussions this could have if they didn't stop now. Vlad felt his mouth watering. His fangs growing longer as he decided he needed to bite into her neck and drain her, he would deal with the aftermath once he was satisfied. God he hoped she was a screamer. Adjusting his position he wanted to do as little damage to her windpipe as possible, that way he could hear everything. She seemed to be holding her breath, waiting for him to make his move. "Say my name…" He growled hotly against her throat, opening his mouth and getting ready to sink his fangs in.

"Apologize for yelling at me." Her voice was still soft and breathy, but he could hear the hint of her lingering anger at him. Vlad closed his eyes and calmed himself, his body humming with the possibility of virgin blood sitting there so helplessly in his lap but the moment was lost. She was right. He had been most uncouth towards her.

"I never pinned you as the kind of girl to be into bondage Lina. Have to say, you look hot tied up though." Steve's voice was a mix of interest in her and an effective warning to Vlad. Both turned to see all four boys standing in the doorway, looking at the two of them. "Hey Vlad, how'd you get here anyway, the storm was pretty bad a while ago?" Setting Lina on the couch Vlad untied her wrists, letting her keep hold of the fabric.

"I walked." He stated simply, the tone he used showing he was not in a mood to answer more stupid questions.

"Want to help us un-board the windows? The hail stopped about an half an hour ago and the sky is crystal clear now." Matt asked, sensing the need to change the topic. Vlad realized then that he had stopped the storm while he had been preoccupied with Lina.

\-------------------------------

Hellsing Manor…3 p.m.

Seras was still helping the troops un-board the windows of the manor, hissing as she got yet another splitter. Captain Bernadette and a few of the more experienced troops went to work the Khayam case. Seras still didn't trust the French man, but she couldn't say that he was all bad. When he had come to the compound and saw her trying to clean up the foyer he had wordlessly helped her. The entire time he had helped her he didn't say a single perverted thing, try and look up her skirt, or grope her. The most he had said was asking if she wanted him to do the small stuff so she could focus on getting the chandelier out of the way. Pulling the splitter out Seras shook it off before pulling the next plank of plywood off the window.

Inside the mansion Sir Integra was going through her closet, looking for something suitable to wear. Everything she pulled was a suit in black, green, and dark blue. Looking at her clothes she started to realize, that the only feminine clothes she had wear her night clothes. The dresses she owned she had hired a stylist to find for her. She had only two skirts, ankle length. With a sigh she realized she would have to hire a stylist again to find a dress for next week's gala at Sir Islands' home on the eighteenth. Honestly she couldn't understand what the issue was with wearing the same dress twice. It looked nice once, why not twice? Closing her closet door she went to her office, smoking before she bothered looking at the paperwork. Why there was always so much, she would never understand. Most of the papers didn't do anything. They were just wasted trees that would sit in someone's file cabinet for years until they realized they were worthless. She prayed that they could switch to an electronic system; it would be so much faster.

"Sir Integra…There is a letter for you." Walter came into her office, holding out a letter for her.

"Who is it from?" She was uninterested, thinking it to be another useless piece of paper for her to sign off on. Walter looked at the sender and gave Integra a grin, his eyes shining with mischief.

"Mr. Matthew Vance." Integra gave Walter a blank stare, taking the simple envelop and opening it. Walter could see her eyes following the words, almost able to make out the letters reflecting off her glasses. Curse his weakening vision. "What does it say?"

"He's asking if I need an escort to the gala at Sir Islands." She was shocked. This had never happened to Integra before; most men were too intimidated by her. Walter had acted as her escort to most of the society events when she had been younger, not counting the one time she had been escorted by Alucard to the end of the year dance at her finishing school. A shiver went down her spine as the memory crossed her mind. God that had been dreadful, no wonder no one asked her out after the way he had acted.

"That's…polite of him." Walter had suspected as much, he had seen the way Matthew had smiled at Integra. He knew Integra, no time to waste on frivolous things like a relationship. "Should we let him down easy?" Integra felt a twitch as he said we. Did everyone just assume that she was uninterested? Or was it that they wanted her to be.

"I will be accepting Mr. Vance's request." Matt had been pleasant enough company at the last event, and it would be nice to have someone there that didn't want to talk about killing monsters or government cover ups for once.

"Excuse me Sir Integra? You are accepting his request." Had the stars re-arranged themselves in this boy's favor? It was not his place as the butler to question Integra, but honestly, that boy was a deviant by the standards of the ton.

"Yes Walter. I'm accepting his request. I already must attend the council meeting and the gala, why should I be alone? Also hire that stylist we used for the last event, I need a new dress."

"Yes Sir. I will see if she can get you something on such short notice. Any preferences in regard to what you want to wear?" He kept the disapproval out of his voice. He is not her father; he didn't have the right to tell her who she could and could not associate with.

"If I had an idea I wouldn't need the stylist. I will call you up so you can personally deliver my reply." She didn't know why she was being so snippy with Walter, maybe this was her unused teenage rebellious streak coming out at the prospect of being seen with the 'bad boy' to the upper echelon. A smirk crossed her lips. Why not? It's not like it would really hurt her reputation. She was known as the recluse and by some of the older ladies as a spinster at the ripe age of twenty three. Perhaps being seen with Matt and his red streaked hair would diminish the number of invites to social gathering.

"Yes Sir Integra." Walter gave a small bow and left the room, heading down to the investigative unit they had to make sure they were actually doing their job. Pulling out his notepad he crossed off completed tasks, penciling in the time he would need to deliver the letter for Integra. Alucard's new coffin would be ready in two days for delivery, and he hoped the vampire would be fine with plain black. If Alucard wanted it designed he could do it himself. It was near impossible to find someone that still made coffins out of pine wood and in that old style frame. He made note to call the stylist he had hired last time, hoping that she would find something for Integra.

\-------------------------

Vance Home… 6 p.m.

Matt was staying at home to spend time with Samantha, telling the guys to head to the club and that he would catch up after his aunt and uncle came back from dinner. Matt sat next from her, Vlad across from the child. Lina was the banker, busy setting up the money and all the cards in a particular order. She kept adjusting the chance and community chest cards till they were perfectly straight. Vlad watched her as she neatly organized all her stacks of money, constantly glaring at it in dissatisfaction. As she was about to once again adjust the cards Vlad reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"It's straight…let it go." She blinked and gave a nervous laugh, pulling her hand back and handing Samantha the dice so the child could roll first. Vlad had never played the game, but he quickly read through the directions. Normally he would not bother playing, but when the child had asked him to stay he had relented. Lina had changed once more into a simply pair of black terry cloth pants and a long sleeve shirt, the temperature dropping below her tolerance zone, the make-up gone. He found the game boring in itself, but watching how competitive the others were getting made him actually laugh. He and Samantha were tied for the top, Lina going broke quickly and giving him dirty looks as he held on to Park place, stopping her from completing the pairing with Boardwalk. She kept trying to bribe him with money and threatening bodily harm. When the laughter left his throat she gave him a look that made him feel strange, like she was seeing him for the first time.

She had barely escaped his hotels on the green properties, landing on the luxury tax instead. She scooted closer to him, resting her head on his arm. He was suspicious of her motives, seeing as her fingers kept twitching and her eyes darting to his property card. She looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes, puffing her lower lip and nuzzling against him.

"The answer is still No. I'm not trading Park place for the purple ones, even with hotels." She glared and scooted back to her previous spot, Samantha snickering and Matt rolling his eyes. He could hear her muttering under her breath about him being a jerk and a few more phrases she muttered even lower because they were not appropriate for a child's' ears. Lina looked up at the ceiling, squinting as if she was trying to see through the floor boards.

"My cell phone is ringing. I'll be right back." She set her things down in a precise order and darted up the stairs.

"How could she tell? I don't hear any ringing." Matt said offhandedly, studying the board to see what his next move would be. Vlad had heard the cell phone, but had decided on not saying anything. Another ringing came to the group's attention, Matt getting up to answer the front door. Samantha was checking on his properties, scooping out her competitor.

"Why did you ask me to stay? I could swear you thought I was creepy." Vlad asked casually.

"Yes…you are creepy, but the Spooky man doesn't like you so I like you." A smirk crossed his face and he kept it as friendly as possible, knowing that he was frightening to most people.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." She nodded, looking around her as if double checking that they were alone.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" He blinked in confusion.

"Why would I think you are crazy?" She set her cards down, all of her property and money in a large pile that he knew had been annoying Lina all night.

"My parents think I'm making the Spooky man up, and the therapist always scribbles on her notepad faster when I mention him. She asked my parents if they wanted to give me medicine to make me normal yesterday." Vlad didn't know what to say to that.

"I'm not sure why you decided to tell me all this. But I don't think you're crazy, there are many strange things in the world." Samantha smiled, her cheeks bunched up in that cute way that only children could accomplish.

"I don't know. Thank you for thinking I'm not crazy."

"You're welcome." There was a long pause which she shifted and took a sip from her hot chocolate.

"Is it my fault?" She asked him softly.

"Is what your fault?"

"That it happened to me?" She seemed to be deeply ashamed of something, something a young child shouldn't be feeling.

"That what happened to you?" This conversation made him feel like a parrot. She frowned and looked like she was about to cry. Why did girls cry around him! He wasn't doing anything!

"That those men touched me. Was it my fault?" What the hell was taking Lina and Matt so long! He shifted uncomfortably. Vlad brushed his hair out of his face, thinking about what to tell the child about such a horrific experience.

"No…it's not your fault. Those men are the guilty ones." He bit back from mentioning God as another guilty party, figuring it was best to not rant at a child about such topics. She would come to that conclusion on her own. His curiosity got the better of him and he snuck into her mind, all the trauma she had experienced was piled up behind a feeble wall. He easily passed the wall and found himself getting angry. He could see the faces of the men swimming through her memories and he wanted to kill. Returning to his own mind he could feel his own memories floating under the surface. She was damaged like him. "You aren't the only person it has ever happened too."

"Everyone tells me that, but what happens to the people like me? The doctor keeps telling me that it gets better with time. But how does she know?" Tears leaked from her eyes and Vlad felt his resolve weakening, getting up and kneeling next to the child. A small, sad smile came to his face, every wrinkle etched from long suffered pain. Samantha looked up and him, wondering about his close proximity.

"She doesn't really. People tell you to forget. They think forgetting will make the pain go away. The pain just festers. You need to find an outlet for your pain, you need Justice, vengeance. That's the only thing that makes it better. I never got my revenge, and it still eats at me." Samantha looked up at the giant towering over her even as he knelt.

"You too?" He nodded. She grabbed onto him and started to cry, let out all the emotion a nine year old could. With a roll of his eyes Vlad let her cry on his shoulder, patting her on the back to comfort her. He understood to well the emotional stress of being a child and the victim of some savage's lust. He heard a sound and looked over his shoulder, Lina and Matt standing in the doorway. Lina was smiling a cheerless smile as Matt curled his hands into fists. Samantha tried to rein in her sobs and pulled back, about to wipe her face on the sleeve of her turtleneck, accepting Vlad's handkerchief. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He returned to his seat as Matt and Lina resumed their seats, Lina scooting closer to Vlad to rest her head on his shoulder again, not really caring about the game anymore. It was to depressing now, and for once Vlad didn't feel like he wanted to enjoy other people's pain. "It was your turn Lina. Hurry up and just land on my hotel so they real players can finish this game." Everyone picked up on the meaning and the mood switched instantly, Lina glaring up at him.

"We'll see about that Vlad! I still have a trick up my sleeve!"

"If that trick was stealing my property card think again, I'm trading it to Samantha for five hundred." The child grinned up at him, handing over the bright orange slip of paper as the property card was set down on Samantha's side of the board.

"You suck Vlad, you know that." He grinned at her, his voice dripping with dark humor.

"You have no idea Lina."

Chapter End


	16. Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my readers! This chapter is a very special chapter for me. The original version of this story was dead with chapter fifteen, so in a way this is a little milestone for me. *Does victory dance*. This chapter is the single longest chapter I have ever written (around 15,000 words), so it is a second little milestone for me. I am so appreciative of the reviews I get from my readers for all the hard work I put in. I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter, and if you get lost along the way it is okay, I explain it all at the end.

October 15…Vance Home…10 a.m.

Vlad woke up in Lina's bed, seeing that he was alone and Lina was at her computer, typing away on her keyboard. Checking the time he laid his head down, pulling the covers up to catch a few hours of sleep. The room was dark, the only light seeping in from the corners of the heavy curtains and Lina's computer screen. Trying to ignore the constant click of her nails on the plastic keys Vlad pulled a pillow over his head. It was a full ten minutes and he couldn't take it anymore. He had spent the night for two days since he liked sleeping in a bed more than stalking the halls of Carfax constantly reminded of how he didn't have a coffin.

"Would you please stop that infernal racket." She looked up at him, her hair a mass of frizzy curls.

"Sorry Vlad, I was just typing up an essay. I'll be downstairs in the living room. Do you want anything?"

"Aside from sleep? No, I'm fine." She closed her laptop and unplugged it, grabbing her textbook and some papers in one hand.

"What about your clothes, don't you want to put them through a wash. You've been wearing the same clothes for three days." He held back from telling her he wore the same thing for ten years.

"If it will get you to leave me alone so I can sleep yes. Do whatever you want. Just let me sleep girl." Lina rolled her eyes at him, putting her laptop and stuff in a bag and then collecting his clothes and putting them in a separate bag.

"Laundry service is going to be twenty pounds. But you can give that to me later." She giggled, opening the door and letting in the hallway light into the room.

"Twenty pounds for you to shove my clothes into a machine that washes it and another that dries? Yeah right. If you had to wash them by hand I might agree. I'll give you five pound and that's it." Why was he arguing? He wanted to sleep and this girl just managed to get him to talk finances. Damn her and her sleep depriving ways.

"I actually have to touch these filthy clothes. That alone should be worth forty, but I'm giving you a discount because I'm dating you." An evil idea came to mind; one that would make her shut up and leave him the hell alone. He pulled his boxers off and tossed them at her, snuggling deeper into her bed sheets, smirking as he could see the look of horror and interest on her face in the mirror.

"Fine. Then wash all of my clothes and I'll give you thirty pounds." He could her debating on whether or not to take his bait. His boxers lying on the floor between them like a landmine. Lina looked up and glared at him. A smirk similar to his crossed her lips. She reached over and put his boxers in the bag of his dirty clothes and turned on her heel to leave the room.

"Fine Vlad, I'll hold you to those thirty pounds. If you need a towel there should be an extra white towel in my bathroom for when you shower, then bring my bed sheets down so I can wash them. Your clothes should be clean by then." With that she shut the door and he could hear her steps retreating down the hallway toward the sets of stairs. Alucard let out a sigh of relief that it was quite, he could finally get some sleep. As he drifted off to sleep the face of the other Vlad swam through his vision. God why wasn't anyone letting him sleep?

_'What do you want?'_

The Vlad in armor shrugged his shoulders, picking his nails clean.

**'I don't want anything. Just wondering why you aren't a bit more worried about Lina having to go through the pockets of your coat when she goes to do laundry. Jackal and Caskull are fine, but what about your little snacks?'**

Alucard jerked awake in bed. _'Crap.'_

**'Yeah…and the worst part of all is that you tossed your boxers at her, so now you have to get downstairs naked. Have fun.'** The armored Vlad disappeared and Alucard got up from the bed. He used his shadows to spy on her downstairs, seeing that she was on her computer, his clothes on the floor next to her. He still had time to stop her. Alucard quickly entered her bathroom, keeping the shadow eye on her. She didn't seem to be moving to wash his clothes yet, so he could hop a shower while the computer kept her preoccupied. In the shower he had to lean down, the shower built for a person a foot shorter than himself. Scrubbing his hair furiously he looked around for a soap that wasn't too girly to wash with.

Downstairs Lina looked up, hearing the water running from upstairs in her room. She looked down at the bag of clothes and realized his coat was still hanging in the hallway. Getting up she took it off the rack, surprised by how heavy it was. She felt a tingle go up her spine, feeling like she was being watched. It wasn't the little creature; it must be Vlad spying on her. He must have left something in his clothes he didn't want her to find. Looking over the red trench coat she felt like she had seen it before. Yes Vlad had alternated between the red and black coats, but she had seen this coat on someone else. She just knew she had. A knocking sound came to her attention and she turned to look at the mirror in the hallway. Sandra was standing there, clad in a plain dress from the 1600's. Sandra wasn't actually visible in the mirror to anyone but Lina, so Lina wasn't worried about Vlad watching.

_'Integra's great-grandfather.'_ Sandra chimed up in her mind. _'That's where you've seen this coat before, on her great-grandfather's portrait. They really shouldn't leave name tags on those portraits.'_ Sandra held up a copy of the portrait in the mirror, pointing to engraved plaque on the bottom. _'But that does explain the whole story doesn't it. Integra is Abraham Van Helsing's great-granddaughter, Vlad used to work for her, and that Seras is his fledgling.'_

_'Wait? Seras is his fledgling vampire? What are you talking about Sandra?'_ Lina grasped the whole connection now that Sandra reminded her of the name plaque, but what made Sandra think that A) Seras was a vampire. B) That she was Vlad's fledgling.

_'Think back to when she was working your case. Don't you think it was odd that you needed five men during the day, but at night you could depend on one girl? Not to mention how tired being around her made you.'_ Sandra was rifling through the shelves of a library that materialized around her, finding the book she was looking for and opening it for Lina to see a page, pointing to a certain paragraph. _'There are two ways for vampires to feed, one is blood, the other is…'_ Lina read the page and smacked herself mentally.

"They feed off spirit energy." Lina realized too late that she had said that out loud. Oh well, Vlad would chalk it up to her being crazy. _'She was feeding off of me, so it proves she's a vampire, but how does that prove she's his fledgling?'_

_'She works for Integra too. Stop trying to lie to yourself Lina, it's not healthy, you might drive yourself mad that way.'_

_'So what should I do?'_

_'First, get Vlad to tell you the damn truth. Second, get your arse back to Integra's and get that bloody book! Old Hallow's Eve is 16 days away. We need to get this to rest before then so we can enjoy a pleasant evening.'_

_'Fine…Maybe Vlad will take me today.'_ Lina took the coat back into the living room and set it on top of Vlad's other clothes. _'I need to wash my sheets too, now that he rubbed his naked ass all over it.'_

_'That's not all that rubbed against those sheets. I say go up there and take a peak.'_ Sandra whispered naughtily and giggled, the image of her in the room with books now like a translucent film over the living room.

_'Will you shut up! There are more important things than his dick!'_

_'What? His wallet?'_ Sandra asked.

_'His personality you stupid whore!'_ Sandra looked like Lina had slapped her across the face. Sandra frowned and the image of the shelves of books melted away around her, and the clothes she wore seemed to age and the girl looked much less beautiful than she had before.

_'That was low Lina…very…very low.'_ Sandra was gone in the blink of an eye and Lina was rubbing her temples, unbelieving of what she just did to Sandra. A laugh came to Lina's attention and she saw Sha sitting on the couch, a much more solid form than Sandra had been. Lina had never seen Sha look so solid before outside of her dreams and the mirror.

_'Seems that you just made Sandra upset. I have to agree that it was low, but it's true. Now that you are listening to me again, I have a plan about how we c-'_

"I'm not listening to any of you! She is always thinking about sex and you keep giving me stupid ideas about doing evil things! I want all of you to let me have some time without voices in my head damn it! Just leave me alone for a few hours please. I am capable of doing things myself. So unless it is an absolute emergency I want you all to zip it. Thank you." Lina burst out loud, forgetting that Vlad was watching her. She blinked, Sha was gone and none of her other past lives were in her head. She closed her eyes and ran through the halls of her mind, finding that she was truly alone, they all left her. Lina had never truly been alone, there had always been someone else in her mind, and now it was so…silent. What was she supposed to do now? They others would come back? Wouldn't they? She had never felt so…alone. Even when she was physically alone, the gaggle of people in her mind had been her security blanket, her mental task force, and now it was just her, alone. She picked up Vlad's clothes and dragged them to the laundry room, needing to do something to take her mind off how quiet it was with the others silent. She couldn't ever remember a time when she had been the only voice in her own mind. It was too quiet. She almost wanted to apologize to the others so they would start the noise up again. She was setting the wash to hot, pouring detergent in and picking up his coat, getting ready to dump out the contents of his pockets when Vlad's voice stopped her.

"I prefer to empty my own pockets." Lina turned to face Vlad and was greeted by a wall of solid muscled chest that had a light dusting of chest hair. Lina was in shock. Yes Vlad had been shirtless before, but she had never actually noticed, way to busy with the others thoughts running through her head. Now that it was only her, Lina drew a total blank as to what she should do. She looked up at his face slowly, his hair still wet from the shower and she noticed just really how broad his shoulders were. He was well built, sculpted more like it. His arms were strong and sinewy, his muscles toned but very present. A drip of water traveled from the base of his neck, down his pec's, followed the drop further down his amazing abs and she blushed scarlet as the drop disappeared into the towel wrapped low on his hips. She could see the muscles of his groin, the trail of hair from his navel descending lower and ripped her eyes upward before she dared look any further down. His suit made him look so much less impressive; it trimmed his body, and made his shoulders look slimmer. His face was smug as he knew that she had been ogling his body. His lips were just perfect, thick enough to kiss, but thin enough to give him that look like he was always thinking something dark, his eyes a rick color. Lina suddenly felt insecure about their relationship. Why was someone as good looking as him dating a girl like her? Even if he wasn't a vampire he would still have his fucking pick of all the girls in the world. He snapped his long fingers in front of her face, snapping her out of her daze.

"Did you hear a bloody word I said?" She didn't trust herself to not scream out a sexual comment, instead shaking her head. "Come on Lina, you've seen me without my shirt before. Stop ogling me already and move so I can do my wash." She shook her head no once more and Alucard was about ready to just physically move her. Yes he was enjoying her reaction to him, he loved the ego boost, but right now he had other matter on his mind. "Oh so this is the first time you every seen my bare chest? Well then let me stand back and give you a few minutes to just absorb every last detail so we can avoid this in the future." Every word was dripping in sarcasm; he took a few steps back and stretched out his arms, turning a full circle for her. The muscles of his back were just as impressive, damn it. "Satisfied?"

"Vlad, I never paid attention to your body before. I had a lot of other shit on my mind. You didn't need to be such a jackass." She walked past him in a huff, shutting the door to the laundry room behind her. Alucard quickly picked his coat up and emptied his pockets of the blood packets and his precious guns. Using his shadows he made them disappear for now, and then shoved his clothes into the washing machine. Walking out into the living room he saw that Lina looked so different. Normally she seemed to be busy with energy, even when she was sitting still, now it was like she suddenly had so much less energy, even though she was doing the same thing. She seemed so…normal. He had seen her freak out and start screaming to herself. He had thought she was crazy; trips through her mind proved unhelpful, her mood swings kept him guessing, and she just seemed to have some sort of connection to him that he couldn't explain. The connection was still there, and he would bet the mood swings would be too. Alucard had never thought of what kind of insanity she might have, but multiple personalities would explain why he couldn't get through her mind and the mood swings. But it didn't feel like multiple personalities because no matter what it was always her there.

"Weakling, are you alright?" There was actual concern in his voice. She didn't look at him and all his near nakedness, looking at her computer screen and sighing.

"I'm not alright Vlad. I don't want to talk about it either." He looked over at her mind, seeing if he could read it. _'You already know I'm not fine you stupid vampire! You were watching me when I had my break down! God! How stupid do you think I am! I swear to god if I didn't like you so much I would feed you liquid silver! I can't take pretending anymore! I just can't. It's hard enough keeping my own secrets. I can't keep pretending I don't know yours. I need you to be honest with me already! I can't take hiding anymore, I just can't.'_ Pulling out of her mind quickly Alucard realized two things, she knew he was a vampire, and he could read her mind as easily as any other human's. To say he was completely shocked would be an understatement. How on earth did she know he was a vampire!? He had done a perfect job of hiding himself, no aura, no fangs, no eyes, and he had actually stomached food! What had given him away? Was it his pathetic 'fake' identity? Was it the accent? Maybe she had figured it out when she had cuddle against his chest and heard no heartbeat? And why could he suddenly read her mind!?

"Vlad, I need to go talk with Director Wingates. Can you take me to wherever that place of hers is? I really don't feel like taking a ride with the French Perv." She wanted to speak with Integra? He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame, running a hand through his hair. His cell phone buzzed on the table, Lina tossing it to him and he checked the text message. His coffin was ready and he needed to go to the Hellsing Compound to pick it up.

"You're in luck, I need to go there today myself." Alucard sat down on the couch next to Lina, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now that he knew that she knew that he was a vampire. The tension was thick enough that he could sink his teeth into it.

"You didn't bring my bed sheets down." She sighed and rose from the couch, heading upstairs to go get the sheets. He easily grasped her wrist and pulled her back to the couch, gently grasping her chin in his other hand and looking into her eyes. Hazel…her eyes were hazel, green and brown mixed, a little more brown. He liked the color.

"I'll get them. Something is bothering you Lina, tell me what it is." She rolled her eyes and tried to get out of his hold. He tightened his grip on her arm, not harsh enough to hurt her but enough to make his point that she wasn't leaving yet. She glared at him and gripped his wrist holding her wrist. Her long nails were posed at his wrist and she applied pressure to the vein to try and make him let go. He chuckled at her attempt, letting her dig her nails in.

"Vlad…I said I don't want to talk about it. Now let me go." He gripped her other wrist and pulled her against his chest and pinned her wrists behind her back with one hand. He put his hand over her mouth to stop her from speaking.

"I don't think I will. In fact…" He switched their position so she was against the couch and he was looming over her, his knee pressing lightly between her thighs. Her hands were now restrained above her head as his hand was pressed firmly against her lips. "There we go…doesn't this feel better." She was glaring at him and he just laughed darkly in her ear as she bit his finger and tried to earn her release. "Girl…do not bite me unless you want me to return the favor." He felt her release his finger and start squirming to try and get away. Alucard simply pushed his knee further between her thighs till he was pressed against the junction of her thighs and she went completely still. The shifting of their positions caused his towel to loosen and he gave her a smirk. "Keep struggling girl…go on…help get my towel off, my hands are a little preoccupied at the moment." He could feel her body fidgeting slightly between fighting further to have him naked on top of her or staying still. "I'll remove my hand and you start talking girl." He moved his hand, using it to prop himself above Lina.

"Stop calling me girl Vlad…You want me to talk then why don't you give me some respect too." He pressed his knee against her a tad more firmly, enjoying her little gasp.

"Fine…Lina…start talking." A loud buzzing sound came from the laundry room and Lina looked toward the sound.

"You need to switch loads."

\------------------------------

Hellsing Manor…3 p.m.

Lina was had realized that Vlad was reading her mind about an hour after the others in her mind had left. She had always assumed that he wasn't doing it. Now she realized that it had really been the cluttered thoughts and the other's defensive mental tricks that had kept the vampire at bay. It had been futile to try and assemble a mental barrier against his probing mind, instead having to resort to attacking him mental probes. She knew he backed off because he wasn't going to force his truth out in the open yet, and the ease that had been in their relationship before was now gone. She knew that he was not using his full power against her and she was utterly terrified of what he may have already gleaned from her mind. He pulled up on his motorcycle with her in his lap to the gates of the Manor, the guards looking behind to the security detail van behind them and let them pass. It was a long driveway to the manor and Lina was all too happy to leave his lap and rush up to the doors. Before she knocked Walter opened the doors giving her a friendly smile that she barely returned. Vlad was standing behind her, looking just as annoyed as the girl.

"I know that we were expecting Vlad, you are a surprise guest Miss Khayam. Are you accompanying Vlad?"

"I want to ask Director Wingates something." She seemed to move further away from Vlad as she said it, darting glances over her shoulder at him. She was getting paranoid about whether he was actually in her mind or if she was overreacting. Walter looked at Vlad and he could sense the tension between the couple.

"Vlad…your item is downstairs…Ask Seras to show it to you while I take Miss Khayam to Director Wingates. I'll join you as soon as I can." Vlad nodded and moved to the lower staircase, obviously familiar with the building. Walter led Lina up the stairs, thankful that the floor and the chandelier had been replaced already. He hoped Sir Integra would be alright having her appointment with the stylist interrupted. He took her to the room Integra was in and knocked twice, waiting for a response.

"What is it Walter?" Integra's voice rang out from behind the door, the frustration she felt with picking clothes obvious.

"Miss Khayam came to ask you something, and Vlad is downstairs checking on the item."

"Send her in Walter." He opened the door, closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly as he let Lina pass. Integra was standing in front of three-way mirror, checking over how a floor length mermaid style dress looked on her. Lina nearly gagged at the dress, it was patches of blue, green and red with a large hot pick sash cutting across the back of dress that was not flattering at all to the blond woman, or any other woman for that matter. Integra turned so her ice blue eyes were staring directly at Lina. "What is it that you wanted to ask me Miss Khayam? I'm very busy. I have a gala to attend in three days and I am still looking for a dress."

Lina suddenly felt her courage scurry behind a bush, nervous about having to face the icy woman without her mental reinforcements. Lina slipped inside her mind and found Sandra and Sha sitting on two large chairs whispering to each other in hushed voices. The two looked up at Lina as they noticed her standing there. Lina moved forward to the girls and was blushing in embarrassment.

_'Hey girls…Look, I'm sorry I yelled for everyone to leave me alone. I missed you all so much. And I'm really sorry I said that to you Sandra. I didn't mean it, I was just frustrated. I didn't realize how much you all help me and I need to appreciate you all more I know. I can do it by myself; I just don't want to be alone. What do you girls say? Can we bury the hatchet?'_ The two past lives looked at each other and whispered to each other once more before the rest of Lina's past lives showed up behind Sha and Sandra.

_'Of course we will Lina, it's impossible for us to not hang out with you. We are you. But the apology is nice.'_ Lina snapped back out of her mind, the time in her mind had only been seconds with Integra, but the blond still seemed as if Lina had been wasting years. Lina could see Sandra wincing at the ugly dress and Lina smiled friendly at Integra.

"If I can be perfectly honest with you Director Wingates, that dress is ugly and should be scrapped for fabric." Integra looked at the mirror and Lina could see that Integra agreed one thousand percent. A red headed woman came from behind a clothes rack and looked furiously at Lina. Sandra urged Lina on. "You need something that isn't a satin version of a patch work tie-dye colored mess."

"Excuse me girl. What do you know about high fashion?" The older woman came and was pointing her finger at Lina's face. Lina was a good four inches shorter that the red head. Lina was officially the shortest girl in the room. The red headed woman had a measuring tape around her neck and was holding a pincushion in her other hand.

"Enough to know that you are forcing a pretty blonde into an appalling dress." Lina wasn't intimidated by the woman and side stepped her to walk closer to Integra. The red headed woman walked closer and was glaring at Lina.

"This style of dress is all the rage among the truly tasteful. Miss Fairbrook is going to be the most fashion forward woman at her social event." The woman came over and was obviously trying to stop the damage Lina was doing to her sale pitch of the dress. Lina stood in front of the mirror and looked up at Integra, rolling her eyes. Lina popped her hip out to the side and put her hands on her waist.

"Of course it is all the rage…" Lina reached out and rubbed her hand against the bottom of the dress, inspecting the hem before flicking it out of her fingers as she spoke. "I'm getting pissed off just looking at it. I can't imagine how it would feel to be wearing something that ugly." Lina met Integra's eyes and arched her eyebrow, asking the blond if she was seriously listening to the red head without saying a word. "You don't need to be ahead of the fashion curve, you need your clothes to make you feel great. Director Wingates, are you loving this dress?"

"I hate it." Lina gave the red headed woman a smug smirk and walked over to the rack with dresses, flipping through the selections and picking out a simple, floor length, royal blue slip-like dress with a sweetheart top and a slit that ended just below Integra's mid thigh. Lina brought it over and held it up against Integra as best Lina could with the height difference. The other woman looked absolutely pissed, like she was ready to rip the dress from Lina's hands and kick her out of the room.

"What do you think about this dress Director Wingates? The color complements your features. I bet if you try it on you would look much better." The other woman tugged the hanger out of Lina's hands and smiled up at Integra, nudging Lina out of the way so she could talk to Integra directly.

"Miss Fairbrook. You hired me because I know fashion. Yes this dress is nice, but it's not a glamorous as the one you are wearing. You want to stand out in the crowd don't you? If you wear this you'll blend in, this dress has been seen a million times before. This dress you are wearing on the other hand is one of a kind. It's never been seen before and it'll keep everyone's eyes glued to you through the entire night. Don't you want to dazzle people when you enter the room?" Lina scoffed and tossed her hands in the air dramatically, mimicking the red head's voice.

"Don't you want people to toss their lunch when they see you twirling across a dance floor?" Lina pulled the price tag on the dress Integra was wearing, reading it. "Oh…no wonder you'll look amazing in this multi-colored hack job, people will just be able to tell that it costs 1,200 pounds as you walk by." Lina snatched the blue dress back and checked the price tag on it. "Let us check the competition shall we…it is only 300 pounds. Yeah, it's definitely a loser. I bet that your stylist here would get a much smaller commission for selling it to you."

"Ms Header…would you please leave the room. I'll call you back in after I've had a few words with Miss Khayam." The red head gave a snide smirk at Lina and left the room, thinking that her client would not listen to the girl and call her back in to make a purchase of the more expensive dress. Once the door closed Integra looked at Lina. Lina gave her a nervous smile and took a step back, waiting for Integra to yell at her. "What is it that you want to ask me Miss Khayam? I have no time for you to kiss my ass." Lina sighed and rolled her eyes, still holding the blue dress.

"I'm not kissing your ass Director Wingates. I'm trying to be a nice person by saving you from making a huge mistake. I have no interest in kissing your ass today, or tomorrow. You aren't going to be taken in by flattery; you hunt monsters for a living. If you were prone to flattery then a vampire would have already drained you dry. Oh yeah…the thing I wanted to ask you. I am looking for a book that I think you might have. I was wondering if maybe you would let me poke around till I found it. Under watch of course, I totally understand this place has a bunch of government secrets and stuff. "

"Absolutely not." Integra started to reach back and unzip the dress, the zipper getting snagged. Lina set the blue dress down and moved behind to get the zipper without saying anything. Integra was surprised when the girl was just standing behind her and sticking her fingers inside the dress and pulled at the fabric. Before Integra said anything Lina already freed the zipper and moved back stand in front of the mirror. "Thank you." Integra moved behind a dressing screen and pulled the dress down, putting the thing back on a hanger. "Hand me the blue dress Miss Khayam. I don't want that woman shoving me in something else that is hideous. She had much better taste last time I hired her." Lina handed Integra the dress.

"Yes, but I bet last time you hired her she didn't realize how hopeless you are with women's clothing." Integra looked at Lina like the girl had lost it. Where did the American get off talking to her like that?

"Excuse me? I don't think that came out as rude as you had hoped it would. Care to try again?" Lina shrugged her shoulders and wandered back over to the dresses, shaking her head at most of them and moving quickly to the next one. Lina decided that she didn't like any of the other dresses and moved over to the selection of jewelry, brushing past everything that she thought looked tacky or wouldn't match the dress.

"I'm not trying to be rude Director Wingates. I'm just being honest. If you could buy dresses yourself I know you would. But I'm guessing every dress you own was picked for you, not by you. I'm sure you gave final approval and all that good stuff, but you still had selections picked for you. Have you ever been shopping in a store like normal people? Just because you hate me doesn't mean I should let you walk around in your high society looking like a dumbass." Integra slipped on the dress and zipped it up, feeling extremely girly in it. She walked over to the mirror and decided that dress did look a lot more like her style. "Told you it looked better. Let me get you some accessories so you can picture the entire look."

"What makes you think I hate you? I dislike you yes. But hate? You don't honestly think that?" Lina brought over four pairs of shoes, holding them up for Integra to pick from. Integra picked a black flat shoe and Lina put the pair down and set the others off to the side.

"Oh, yeah, that makes it so much better, you dislike me. Of course I think you hate me. I don't blame you really. I'm crude, rude, a magnet for trouble, and I'm ugly. To be honest I don't even like myself half the time. But what can I do? I have to be who I am to put up with the crap I get myself into. Imagine if I was dating Sean and I was all 'lady like'? I would already be popping out a litter of werewolf babies as we speak. And if I was 'ladylike' dealing with my family. Please, I would be married off to some old Persian guy who looks like a balding gorilla. I want to be more refined. I really do. I also want to learn how to sing, how to sew, how to play a musical instrument, and how to paint. You know, the perfect woman according to stereotypes." Integra couldn't keep the smirk from her lips at some of the sarcastic jokes. She didn't like the flats and tried on a pair of stiletto strappy heels. "But in all seriousness, I do want to learn how to do those things. I would like to just once be a polite lady. Just to see how it feels."

"It's not all that impressive. It actually is very dull. You have to go around and pretend to be interested in what the other women are wearing while they try and marry their sons off. I prefer the days I'm working. It just feels much more…meaningful. Like every day I sit at my desk, walk around the grounds, or order the troops, it makes a difference. A small difference, but a difference all the same." Integra tried on the third set of heels, the simple low heel shoes much more comfortable than the other two. Lina went back to the jewelry and picked up a simple omega gold chain and the matching earrings. Integra tried them on and quickly dismissed them.

"It makes a huge difference to me. I would be as good as dead if it wasn't for you and this whole organization. And I'm sure it makes a lot of difference to a lot of other people, they just don't know that you've made a difference. After all, that would require them knowing that the things that go bump in the night are more than Hollywood glitz." Integra was happier with the thin gold chain and the sapphire cross, the matching earrings helping to draw out the richer color in her blue eyes. "This is a good outfit. What do you think?" Integra studied herself in the mirror and decided she liked it.

"It's much better than what she was going to put me in. Maybe I should have hired you to do my shopping." Integra joked, pulling the top up higher to get the hem farther off the ground. Lina grabbed the pincushion and pinned the hem so it was where Integra liked it.

"Please do. I need all the money I can get. I can't find a job anywhere. Not even at a fast food place. It's so humiliating having to bum money off Matt and the others for lunch." Lina stepped back and grinned at the way Integra looked in the mirror. "I'll let her back in to she can ring you up. And I go wait in the foyer for Vlad to get whatever it is he needs from you guys. He's my ride home." Integra watched Lina get up and brush here knees off and put the stuff back where she had found it.

"What did you want a book for Miss Khayam?" Lina looked back at Integra, confused for a minute and then remembering that was why she had come in the first place.

"I wanted to look up a monster. It's been bothering Matt's niece for a while so I thought if I could look it up and get rid of it Samantha would stop having nightmares. But I suppose I can try and find the info online, I just hate doing that though because it's so hard to check if the person really knows what they are talking about or if they are bullshitting everything." Lina figured if she was honest Integra might let her. Integra gave a little half laugh as she thought Lina was joking.

"Alright…now what do you really want it for?" Lina kept an honest stare and Integra narrowed her gaze, walking over to Lina. "You can't be serious. What monster is bothering Mr. Vance's niece? He never mentioned anything to me."

"That's because only Samantha and I know that the monster is bothering. It's a spirit and it gives her nightmares and it bugs the hell out of me. But I don't know what to do to get rid of it. That's why I want to look through your books to try and figure out what I am supposed. If I know what that, I can get rid of it…hopefully."

"You expect me to believe that some ghost is tormenting Samantha."

"Nope, but it's the truth. I'm not lying to you. Is it really any stranger than you telling me that you hunt vampires and werewolves?"

\-----------------------------

Hellsing Underground…

Downstairs in the dungeons of Hellsing Alucard was looking over his new coffin. Seras stood there awkwardly waiting for her former master to speak. He stood it up and ran his fingers over it, finding spots that were too irregular under the black paint. The size was right, but the inside was still rough and unpainted. There was nothing but the black base coat on the outside. He took an hour inspecting the coffin and didn't say a single word. It freaked Seras out. What was taking Walter so long! Alucard walked over to the table in the dungeon room and set his guns out, taking them apart and cleaning them. What was he doing that for? Oh god…was he finally going to kill her? He wouldn't do that, Integra would be…delighted.

"I'm not going to kill you police girl…not yet anyway. The future remains to be seen." He was not wearing his hat or glasses, Seras had rarely seen him without at least one or the other. It was like he was missing half of his persona, the part of his persona that meant he was restrained. The glasses hid his eyes and the hat…she didn't know what the hat meant but seeing him without them made her feel uncomfortable. "Guard your thoughts better police girl; they're just flying out of your empty head."

"My name is Seras Victoria…" He glanced at her over his shoulder.

"You haven't earned a name you coward. Don't talk back to me." How long had they been fighting over this?

"Why did you do it?" He started to wipe the barrels of his guns.

"You've have to be more specific police girl, I've done many things." She felt hurt by that. How could he not know what she was talking about?

"Why did you shoot me? Was it because you really couldn't shoot the vampire in the head or the heart? Or did you do it because you wanted to get away with killing a human? Was it because you wanted to make me a vampire? Why Alucard! Why? I need to know." Alucard shrugged his shoulders and began to re-assemble his guns, the metal pieces clicking together in a menacing manner.

"I already told you police girl. It was a whim…I shot you to kill the vampire…I asked you because I was hungry…I actually did it because I had an impulse. Believe me police girl, if I had known you would be such a terrible vampire I would have let you die. Your poor performance as a vampire is an embarrassment to me." The clips locked in with a loud bang and she winced. Walter entered the room, walking over to the coffin.

"Do you like it?"

"It's a decent wood, craftsmanship however is severely lacking. Where is Lina?"

"Miss Khayam is browsing through the library. Sir Integra said it was alright. What do you want to do so this coffin is brought up to your standards? Also…Sir Integra has a nice long bill for you." Walter pulled the 'bill' from his pocket and handed it to Alucard. "I must say, you have good business sense. If you haven't made all those investments you would be broke right now, although the repairs to the manor are going to be a pretty penny." Alucard looked at the bill and felt a twitch coming as he saw the amount. He would deal with that all later.

"I want to finish it myself. It needs to be sanded, painted, and polished. I want to keep it here at Hellsing till I kill that wolf. I need to know that my coffin is safe."

"You will need to speak with Sir Integra about that. Is everything alright between you and Miss Khayam? You two didn't look as cozy as usual."

"We have both been…omitting certain truths about ourselves. I read her mind and found out she has known I'm a vampire for some time and that she is hiding something from me. I could not find out it she is hiding because she caught on to my mental probing and frantically started trying to attack me. She's paranoid I know her secret and I'm pissed that she knew mine."

\--------------------------

Second Floor Library…

Lina was searching through the shelves upon shelves of books, growing frustrated as she pulled books down, flipped through them and found nothing useful. All the books here were books she could have gotten at a bookstore! There was a painting in this library of Abraham looking over the room from the mantle of the fireplace. With a sigh she sat in one of the plush armchairs and tried to think of where the book would be. A place this big couldn't possibly have just one library. Maybe if she could find a map then she could find the other libraries and find the book. It would help if she actually knew what book she was looking for so she could ask for assistance instead of just relying on her intuition. Looking up at Abraham's painting she put her head in her hand.

"Don't suppose you could help me out with finding a book on metaphysical monsters that loves to give children nightmares? It would be a great help Dr Van Helsing. Sweet nine year old is terrified to sleep at night by herself. Says the Spooky man wants to get her. I've seen the nasty bugger myself. It's about three feet high, always slouched over, big black curved claws on its fingers, skin color is a kind of reddish grey, decaying skin that peels off, empty eye sockets with glowing irises, and smells like spoiled milk with a hint of ripe lemons. Sound familiar? I need to get rid of it before Halloween." She looked at the portrait and sighed as no response came. Maybe her mind was just too cluttered to hone in on the book? She sat on the floor in her jeans and black shirt, pulling her hair from her bun. Assuming the lotus position Lina closed her eyes and took deep breaths, calming the chaos of her mind as her heart beat slowed. Her vision was black behind her lids, but slowly a ripple of grey came from all the items in the room around her. None of the ripples seemed to stand out to her and she made to mentally travel out of the room and wait for something when a bright blue ripple caught her attention. With her eyes still closed Lina turned toward the ripples source and saw her vision become pulsating rings of blue. She slowly got on her hands and knees, crawling toward the source carefully so she wouldn't hit anything. Her hand came in contact with a carpet but she could feel the lines of a metal grate and Lina opened her eyes. Lina realized she was under the baby grand piano and was thankful she had been on her hands and knees. Gently pulling the carpet up Lina found the grate, a smile crossing her lips as a piece of paper caught her attention. Looking behind her at the door Lina gave the grate a slight tug and giggled as it came free. Looking down she scanned for spiders before reaching out to grasp the paper. Replacing the grate Lina picked up a large book and sat on the armchair facing the door, that way if anyone barged in they wouldn't be overly suspicious of her. Lina knew that Integra was just humoring her by letting her search through this library. It was a big mistake leaving her alone, but one woman's loss was her own gain. Unrolling the paper Lina had to stop from laughing as she realized that it was a map of the Manor building. Scanning it over Lina gasped and looked up at the portrait of Dr Van Helsing. The blue ripples were the same color as his eyes.

"Wow…you are good Doc." The signature at the bottom left corner of the map was an elegant signature from the good doctor. Lina saw that there were four other libraries; two were on the second floor, the fourth on the far end of the hallway. It was simply labeled…'Personal'. She felt a tug and gulped, either the book was in that room, or the next step to finding the book was. If she got caught in that room she would be royally screwed. No way Integra would understand the explanation of 'your dead great grandpa gave me permission'. Vlad was still watching her too…this was going to be impossible…unless. Lina checked the map again. How convenient, there was a bathroom two doors away from Van Helsing's study. If she got caught in that hallway she could just excuse it away. Rolling the map back up Lina stashed it in the inside the pocket of her baggy sweater. Lina replaced the book and moved to enter the hallway, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary, even stopping to study some of the stuff that decorated the hallways. Lina felt like she was being watched by something that wasn't Vlad. It wasn't threatening, but she couldn't put her finger on what was watching her. Maybe there were security cameras? She prayed it wasn't cameras. Cameras would make this impossible. Moving along she came to the turn in the hallway and sighed in relief, no one down the hallway. She moved to the door to Abraham's study, leaning against it as if intently studying the painting of a fox hunting party. Reaching to the handle she gripped it tightly and pushed on the handle, making sure the sleeves of her jacket and not her hand was touching the knob. It turned and Lina quickly darted inside, jumping as she realized there was no light in the room. Damn it! She had left the door open, a small crack and a small amount of light poured in. She could feel that the book wasn't here, but something related to the book was. She crept over to the curtains and pulled them open. The sun was setting and Lina needed to find whatever it was that Van Helsing was trying to show her now. Lina could feel her eyes adjusting desperately to the limited light and she felt a gentle nudge toward the heavy desk. She took it and she closed her eyes, trying desperately to see what it was. Secret drawer on the underside of the desk…Lina opened her eyes and saw a set of keys poking out from under another slip of paper. She picked up both, closed the drawer, drew the curtains and dashed out of the room, closing the door and moving quickly to the bathroom. With the safety lock on inside the bathroom Lina looked at the set of keys she was holding and the other slip of paper.

A sliver of dread passed through her as she read the label. 'Dungeons'. That was the staircase she had seen Vlad walk down, he went to the dungeons. She felt her stomach scrunch up tightly and the blood draining from her face. Why a dungeon? Why the fuck couldn't the book be in a safe behind a painting of some shit like that! There were so many rooms. Lina closed her eyes while spreading her fingers out over the map, waiting for something to draw her. When her fingers all came together Lina opened her eyes and wanted to cry. 'Dark Arts Lab # 2'. The room was on the last level of the dungeons, surrounded by other labs and a torture chamber. All the rooms were connected by a main central hub room. There was absolutely no time for her to make it down five floors into that room and back into the library by the time Vlad would be ready to leave. Looking up to the ceiling Lina made a mental prayer for help before heading back dejectedly toward the library she had been left in.

"Miss Khayam is everything alright? You look a bit depressed. Is it something I can help you with?" Lina jumped a bit as Captain Bernadette spoke from her left, coming up a staircase. Lina had a perfectly evil idea come to mind, not letting it show on her face.

"Hey Captain. I'm fine I guess. You couldn't possible help me with my problem." She let her shoulders slump and her lips frown, her eyes downcast. Her side bangs framed her face sweetly as she put on her helpless girl act.

"Is it relationship trouble?" She sighed and leaned against the wall, her arms wrapped around her chest, gripping her shoulders. Lina nodded yes to his question. "You're just in luck girl. I'm very good with relationships. Tell me your problem; I'm sure I have an answer for it. If nothing else I'm a strong shoulder to cry on." Lina pushed down her gag response to his obvious passes at her.

"I've been keeping secrets from him. Big secrets. I know he's keeping secrets too, but with us being this far in the relationship, I don't know if we can get our secrets out in the open without breaking everything apart."

"What kind of secrets do you think would cause that mon cheri? I am sure that your secrets are not as bad as you think."

"My secret will make him want to kill me. He'll think I'm a deviant." Pip found himself itching to know what her secret was. He figured it was something sexual with the way she said deviant so low, like it was a naughty word.

"If he can't handle your secret, then he does not deserve you cheri." She looked like she was mulling over his words, sighing sadly, making sure her chest rose and fell heavily, that drew the man attention. Thank goodness Sandra knew how to manipulate men.

"You are so right…but I'm scared to tell him alone. He could kill me so easily." She slowly looked up into Captain Bernadette's eyes. "Do you think you would help me tell him Pip?" She was so thankful she had remembered his first name. She saw the clogs in his mind turning as he contemplated the risks. He had no clue who Vlad was, figuring the small side arm would suffice should the tall man get violent.

"Of course Miss. I will be with you every step of the way. Now where is he?"

"He went underground to check on something he needs." Pip felt something in the back of his mind telling him to change his mind, but brushed it off. "Walter said Seras was going to be there to show Vlad what he needs. It's best if we get to Seras too, so I can just get my secret out in the open once instead of having to repeat myself." Pip's perverted mind jumped to the conclusion Sandra had told Lina he would. Pip was imagining her saying she was into both sexes. A whole fantasy was rolling through his head of the busty blond and the small brunette locking lips.

"I am all too glad to assist you. Come, follow me to the underground." Lina let the man tug her by her wrist down the stairs, mentally having a small victory dance as Sandra's tactics worked. She hoped that Vlad and Seras where not in the underground any more, that would throw a massive kink in her plans.

"Pip, do you have a flashlight I can borrow? I'm terrified of the dark and it looks pretty dark down there." He stopped and checked his pockets, pulling out a flashlight and handed it to her. She followed him into the underground levels and shivered. This entire place was filled with evil energy, all of it probably related to Vlad somehow. She reached out and tried to sense if he was still down here, unable to figure it out. Pip started to open doors and look into the rooms, closing the doors when he didn't find anything. Pip made sure to keep Lina from seeing into the rooms, knowing better that to do that since Seras's coffin was in one of the rooms. They traveled the entire hallway and Pip couldn't find Seras or Vlad. Lina tried to not look annoyed with him as he still kept a grip on her wrist. None of these doors led to the lower levels and she was running out of time. "Um Pip could you let go of my hand, your bruising me." He stopped and laughed sheepishly, releasing his grip on her.

"Sorry Cheri, they are not down here, maybe if we go upstairs we will find them." No, Lina would not give up this easily. She noticed a large mirror at the end of the hallway and realized that vampires had no use for mirrors. That must be a hidden entrance. She wandered over to the mirror, pretending she was fixing her hair when she was really examining the mirror. The evil feeling in this hallway was nothing compared to the energy she felt from behind this mirror. Hopefully Captain Bernadette would play along with her just a bit longer so she could get down there. No way was she going alone.

"Pip…is this mirror tilted to you or am I seeing things?" He came over and shrugged.

"It looks straight to me." Lina reached out and gripped the sides of the heavy mirror, starting to try and 'straighten' it out. Pip quickly gripped the mirror as he saw it wobbling, not wanting to get in trouble. He had never been into the underground and did not want to earn Sir Hellsing's wrath. "Are you crazy? If this thing falls and-" He was cut off and the mirror started to slide along the wall to reveal a staircase that descended into a total darkness. There were one or two electric lights that did little to ward off the shadows. It seemed like there was even a fog that hovered over the floor, making it seem that the solid rock floor could in fact be a thin barrier between the person and the abyss. Lina took a tentative step into the darkness, already too far down the steps when Pip finally came out of his daze to stop her. Lina was trembling with each step she took; frightened the shadows would come to life and swallow her whole. Each of her steps was silenced by the fog, and the normally loud clips from Pip's boots were muffled. He was getting a bad feeling about this place. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to catch up to Lina. "Girl…get back up herez now. I doubt ze will be down there." He whispered, the French accent growing thicker with his fear. His voice echoed back almost mockingly at him.

Lina stood on the last step, turning on the flashlight Pip had given her and pointing it at the floor. If she took this step something bad was going to happen, she could already tell. Was it bad enough to make her scamper back to the safety of the floors above, that was the real issue? She could feel so many voices calling out for her, the voices of the damned. Her past lives did their best to try and block the horrible sounds out. Lina took a deep breath…closing her eyes and calling out to Van Helsing on the spiritual plane, needing to know that it was him telling her to come down here and not something else. She had been fooled before, only now her safety net of another person like herself was gone. She saw the blue energy pulsing again, faintly. There were swirls of every color in this room, a dominating presence was Vlad…but it was more the after waves of him being here. There were other souls…they were trapped down here and they were nasty violent spirits. Apparently with Vlad gone the spirits had slowly been getting stronger. She needed to guard her mind from them, they knew exactly what she was and they wanted her to get to…someone. She never heard Pip; it was already too late for that. The dark energies here blocked his voice and urged her on. She was exposing herself to spirits a lot more powerful and dark than the Spooky Man for a book that would get rid of him. If she made it out of here she was going to triple her meditation time so she could get spiritually more powerful. She sent out a smaller prayer to Hades to give her protection from the lost souls down here, holding her breath as she stepped onto the floor and away from the staircase.

Pip freaked out as she simply disappeared from sight, the flashlight extinguished. He rushed to the bottom of the stairs, tripping over something and falling face first onto the icy cold stone floor. Looking in front of him there was just enough light for him to come face to face with a skull, half of it still covered with rotting flesh and the top half missing like it had been cut clean. The exposed brains were being feasted on by insects that started to crawl toward him. He scrambled back to the base of the stairs and looked around him. There was blood splattered all around him, and looking down he started to tremble as he saw that the only space without blood was in the shape of a man about his size. Pip jumped to his feet and ran up the stairs, deciding this was way over what his paycheck covered. He needed to find Walter or Sir Hellsing, they would fix this. As he passed the mirror he heard it starting to close. He tried to stop it but it shut firmly, not budging as he mimicked what he had done before. Crap! He was in a world of shit now. He needed to find help, and fast.

Lina was near bursting into tears and screams as she walked through the dark room. It was massive. The shadows were so thick. Picking up a rock Lina tossed it at the ceiling, whimpering as the rock bounced off the floor a few feet away. The ceiling was so high that the rock had never hit it and the there was no way of telling how far the walls were from her. Lina reached into her pocket and pulled out the map of the dungeon, trying to get a sense of where she was in relation to her goal. She must really like Samantha to be doing this. The sensation of being watched was a thousand times stronger down here. Okay, the passageway that leads down to the room would be the third on her right, assuming that she was facing the room from the perspective of the stairs. As much as it disgusted her she would need to touch the wall to keep on track. It was dark enough down here that she could see the energy waves without to much difficulty. She passed the first to passageways and entered down the third one, trying to not even breathe for fear that if she made to much noise that she would wake the spirits down here up and be under full attack from them. She wasn't going to be able to sleep without every light in her room on for a long time after this. She had to refrain from giving herself a pat on the back. She had never been this brave before in her life, and probably never would be again. Lina reached the door to the room and saw that a large lock with chains over this door. Holding her flashlight up to the door Lina nearly screamed as she was the large symbol drawn with red liquid. Taking slow deep breath she calmed herself, feeling silly over being frightened by a familiar symbol of a pentacle. How humiliating, her being scared of a pentacle. Once her heart rate had calmed down she flashed her light around the symbol, trying to figure out what it was there for. As its purpose dawned on her she realized why it had frightened her so much. It was to seal away something wicked and vile. What the hell had Van Helsing done down here? She knew better than to break the seal, but she had to get the book. The book had better be worth it. The weight of the keys in her pocket seemed to grow, her fingers grasping the ring of keys and brought them out. The keys let out a barely audible jiggle and Lina went completely still, not daring to breath. The sound of something shifting in the main room sent chills down her spine. She needed to get in the room, and she needed to get in there now! Looking down Lina examined the keys, seeing small markings on the top of each key. She brought them closer and saw that each key had a few letters and then a number etched onto the top. 'L 2', that must be the key. She put the key in the lock and turned it, wincing at the rusty metal scraping against each other as she turned the lock. She looked toward the main room, unable to see anything, but the sound of rattling bones made tears leak from the corners of her eyes. The lock gave way and she didn't care about the noise she was making anymore, pocketing the lock, yanking the door open, the heavy metal chains clashing over the metal door as she tossed herself inside and pulled the door shut. The rattling sound grew louder, whatever it was making the sound was charging down the hallway towards her. Lina grabbed the lock from her pocket, slipping it into place on the internal locking mechanism. It clicked into place, not a moment to soon as the door started to rattle, something on the other side yanking the handle. The flashlight was running low on battery power, the weak beam of light flickering. Lina felt along the walls, hoping against hope that there was a light switch. Thank god, she flicked the switch and winced as the bright lights hummed to life, illuminating the entire room.

She turned the flashlight off to conserve the battery and looked around the room. It was so bright in here. Rows and rows of lights were suspended from the ceiling, leaving no corner of the room in the darkness. There were complicated instruments scattered all over the long tables. Van Helsing had used these rooms to study the Dark Arts, not perform them. There were glass beakers in metal stands, connected together by intricate series of plastic tubes and strainers. Some of the beakers still had the remains of the experiments sitting in them, all coagulated. There were notepads next to each of the experiments. The entire back wall was covered by a bookshelf. Lina jumped as whatever it was behind the door tossed itself, trying to break the lock. If it wasn't her life in danger Lina would have laughed at the irony. She was about to be killed by a monster while hiding in the basement of a monster hunting organization. For now the lock seemed to be holding the unknown creature at bay. Moving to the book case Lina searched for the book, picking out random books and flipping through them. Hopefully Pip had gone for help instead of following her, she couldn't handle the guilt of he died because of her. There was a book that fell off the far end of the shelf, the loud thud as it hit the dust covered floor causing Lina to yelp. That yelp was the first sound she had made since she came down the stairs. Moving carefully to the fallen book Lina checked to make sure that it wasn't some trap. Picking the book up she flipped through the pages, seeing an illustration of the creature she had described to the portrait of Van Helsing. Grinning in triumph Lina grabbed a scrap of paper and slipped it in to mark the page. Gripping the book tightly to her chest Lina moved to sit in one of the stools next to the tables. She couldn't leave the room and the only exit to the upstairs was past whatever it was on the other side of the door. Van Helsing was gone, she could feel the lack of his presence and she curled up. She hoped he understood that she was thankful for all his help. It was hard for spirits like his that had completely passed on to interact with people on her plane. What was taking so long? Pip should have found someone by now. Maybe Integra was going to let her die down here for being such a pain in the ass. She deserved it. The thing at the door had slowed down its attempts to get in. Lina wasn't stupid enough to think it was gone. It was waiting for her to slip up and leave the safety of the room, the seal on the door meant to keep things from passing in or out of the room.

"Hades…I hate to be a pest in your ear…but I really could use a tiny bit of you divine help here. Any bit of help would be nice. Heck, even a bit of friendly company will do." She put her head on her knees and wrapped her arms around her calves. Lina pulled out her cell phone, checking for a signal and finding that she had none. A sudden chill went up her spine as she felt that something else was with her in the room. The circle was keeping something in the room, and the thing in the room was probably deciding that it was going to eat her. Hopefully it would kill her first; she had no tolerance for pain. She could hear footsteps approaching her and she closed her eyes, she had no interest in seeing what it was. A heavy panting sound came to her attention while the tables behind her were moved as something brushed past them. Lina curled up tighter, saying her prayers. Whatever it was that was stalking closer was standing in front of her, panting. The smell of rotten meat, hard boiled eggs, and something else she couldn't place washed over her. Thank god she had a pour sense of smell or else she would have keeled over from the intensity of it. She waited patiently for whatever it was to finish her off. A bark made her look up and Lina came face to face with a very large black dog. It sat down and looked at her, tilting its head to the side and giving her a lopsided dog grin. "Hi there puppy...are you here to keep me company?" She reached out to pet the dog and screamed as it grew a second and third head, blinking hundreds of glowing red eyes at her as it opened its mouth wide.

\---------------------------------

Integra's Office…

Pip barged into Sir Hellsing's office, his face pale and speaking in jumbled fragments, pointing toward the stairs and panting from being out of breath. All four occupants turned to him and wondering what the interruption was about. Pip put his hand up and took a few deep breaths, trying to collect his thoughts into coherent sentences.

"Miss Khayam…staircase…there was a skull…couldn't find her…the mirror locked…" Seras rushed over to Pip, helping him stand up straighter as he still tried to even his breathing. "I tried to stop her but she just kept going…it was like she got swallowed whole…You need to do something Sir…" Alucard had grasped Pip by his shirt and yanked him to be at eye level with him, his eyes a hellfire red and burning into Pip's soul. If Pip hadn't been a mercenary for as long as he had, he would have shit himself coming face to face with the red eyed demon.

"Are you telling me that Lina went into the lower level dungeons?" The words passed Alucard exposed fangs, Pip trembling like a leaf about to fall from the branch. Pip slowly nodded yes. The hand gripping his shirt moved to his throat and he started to gasp for air. "You let her enter that place alone! You worthless piece of shit! What kind of soldier are you! You just let her wander down into the dungeons and ran up here with your tail between your legs while she's locked in that place!" Alucard was shaking Pip, everyone worried he would break the man's neck.

"Put him down Vlad. I need him alive." Integra spoke calmly to the pissed vampire. Alucard released Pip, letting him fall towards the floor. Seras caught him, quickly dragging Pip farther way before Alucard tried to hurt him again. She may not like the man, but no way would she let him suffer at Alucard's hands. "I don't see why you are getting so upset. You lived down there the entire time you have been with my family and you were the only dangerous thing down there aside from the old torture devices and the toxins stored in some of the rooms. All the rooms down there are securely locked, aside from being frightened I don't see what harm could have befallen her down there." Alucard turned and stalked toward Integra, Walter quickly moving between to stop the vampire from laying a hand on Integra.

"With all due respect Sir Hellsing you have no idea what went on down there. I was created down there, I lived down there. I've seen what else Van Helsing was fiddling around with, what other monsters he sealed away behind those doors. Didn't you ever wonder why no other employees aside from Walter and your father knew that I was down there? Why your father had the underground sealed off? Every human that went down there while I wasn't around was slaughtered. I was created to be the ultimate monster Integra. Abraham tested me against other creatures he kept locked away. The lower level was completely sealed off to everything but me for a reason; the evil beings that live there would not dare travel past me and the seals." His tone was a mixture of pride and disgust. He turned his gaze back on Pip. "How long has she been down there?"

"Maybe an hour…I tried to open the mirror. It wouldn't budge…then I came searching for Sir Hellsing." Alucard's face went void and he silently moved out of the office and onto the railing overlooking the foyer. The others followed him, watching as he gripped the railing and squeezed. Integra sighed in relief that he didn't break it. Instead he jumped over the railing, the red coat fluttering behind him as he passed the levels of the house and passing through the floor to the underground levels of the Hellsing Manor. "What the fuck is he?" Pip couldn't believe that instead of the man splattering on the floor he simply passed through it like it was a fog. Leaning heavily on Seras for support Pip looked toward them for an answer. Integra turned to an icy stare to him.

"That Captain Bernadette is Alucard, the King of vampires. He is a monster so powerful and dreadful that every last living being would need to be slaughtered to slake his blood lust. He is a true Nosferatu." Integra turned to Walter. "See if the morgue has any room should Miss Khayam be deceased, I want to wait a few days before we alert the family and her friends. If she's alive…tell the medical wing to have a sedative ready." Walter nodded, leaving to obey the new set of orders. Integra returned to her office, closing the door quietly behind her. Seras walked Pip back to his barracks, knowing that it would be best to keep him from Alucard's sight.

\-------------------------------------------------

Dungeons…

Vlad couldn't believe this. He leaves the mortal alone for two hours and now she could be dead. She couldn't be dead, not yet. He needed to know how she knew his secret. It wasn't like he was going to miss her constant annoyance, he just needed to know. Walking down the stone hallway he wondered how she managed to get the mirror to slide open. He simply phased through the wall along the mirror and descended into the forgotten dungeons. His vampire vision allowed him to see her footsteps in the dust through the darkness. She was smart enough to stick to the walls. The bones that had been scattered about the floor look like they had shifted. The clanking of bones drew his attention. If that thing had already stripped her flesh it would need to be a closed casket funeral. All the evil that resided down here shrank away from him, feeling his displeasure. He saw the nasty goblin like creature chewing on an old bone that was strung around its neck. He blinked in confusion, it was an old bone. Where the hell was Lina? As he approached the nasty creature scampered further down the passageway, Vlad was about to turn back when he noticed that the chains where dangling. The heavy metal lock was gone and the seal protecting the room was broken. That was impossible; Abraham had hidden the keys before he died. Giving the door handle a small tug he found it was locked from the inside. Vlad searched his memory, trying to remember what exactly was behind this door. It was one of the dark art labs. With the seal on the door broken Alucard materialized into the room, squinting as the bright lights assaulted his eyes. Quickly adjusting his vision he saw Lina running to him, tossing her arms around his middle as she broke down into frantic sobs. Looking around the room he saw what would have her so terrified, it was his hellhound. Strange, he didn't know that it did anything when he wasn't using it. It must live down here.

"Lina...I just washed this suit and you're crying all over it." He had to grip her arms and pull them away from his body growing tired of this new routine of people crying on his shoulder. "Stop crying weakling. You aren't dead; you haven't been mauled, dismembered, gored, bitten, or nibbled on. You came down here, what the fuck did you think was going to happen to you. As far as you are concerned, you've beaten the odds, not even a paper cut." Her sobs slowed to sniffles, wincing at the coarse way he spoke to her. This was not the rescue she had envisioned, but it was the one she was getting. "Do you have any idea of how idiotic it was just waltzing down here without someone else to protect you? Do you?" Vlad shook her just as bit, frustrated with her. Lina wiped the tears from her face on her sleeve, her eyes puffy, and red streaks down her cheeks. Giving Vlad a small nod she was worried he would hurt her. "I should leave you down here a few more hours to teach you a lesson first about not going where you're not invited, and secondly about walking head first into a dangerous situation." He growled, his eyes red and his fangs glistening in the light. Lina was alarmed, she had never seen the fire red eyes, and seeing them for the first time when they were shining in anger was making her want to run back to the horrifying dog thing instead. When she saw his fangs Lina couldn't help but gulp. "Noticing something different about me? Or just seeing the real me weakling?" Vlad said condescendingly, leering down at her. "This isn't a rescue weakling, it's an interrogation." Lina took steps back from him and sat on the stool she had previously occupied. She had set the book down on the table next to her, gripping it to her chest once more as if it would shield her from him. Vlad took the book from her grasp, his gaze narrowing. "You disappoint me Lina, You say you know so much about me but yet here you are breaking and entering, then to top it all off stealing. Tell me weakling, how do I deal with thieves." He wriggled the book in her face. Lina gripped the book and tugged on it, surprising him.

"I didn't steal it! Dr Van Helsing is letting me borrow it! Now let it go!" He gripped her wrists in one hand and squeezed, not hard enough to do damage, but enough to get her to cry out in pain.

"I hate liars. Three strikes, Integra won't know the difference if I kill you or if something out there did." He gripped her neck and squeezed. Lina was shocked. Vlad was going to kill her! He was actually going to kill her! She could feel her lungs starting to burn in pain.

"Cerberus…help me." She barely managed to gasp it out. The large hellhound looked up and moved over to the two, all three heads and the various eyes looking between Alucard and Lina, trying to decide which side it was on. Alucard tightened his grip on her throat, cutting off her air. Lina squirmed and tried to kick at him, her eyes watering up. The hellhound head butted Alucard, not hard enough to be painful, but enough that Alucard dropped Lina. Lina was gasping for air, her hands around her throat to try and sooth the pain from his undead grip.

"Cerberus? You are calling MY familiar Cerberus!" Lina curled up tighter and ready to burst into another round of tears.

"I didn't know he was your familiar…he just came in here and licked me." Alucard reached out to read her mind, finding the jumbled barrier of thoughts back in place. "Vlad please…I'm trying to explain but you won't listen to me." He moved toward her again and Lina fell to the floor, scrabbling to crawl under the table and away from him. He used his shadows to grab her ankles, pulling her back out and hanging her upside down, hanging her high enough that she was face to face with him. Lina's hair hung down as he dangled her, the maps and the keys falling out of her pockets. "Abraham showed me where to find the maps! He let me get the keys and even opened the mirror for me! I'm not stealing from him Vlad! Please stop hurting me." She started to cry again, her tears dripping down to the floor.

**'Some man you are Alucard. You tell her three days ago a real man never raises his hand to a woman, and today you strangle her. I must say you are doing a splendid job of proving to her you are different from that werewolf.'**

Alucard groaned as the other him spoke up. He was not in the mood for this. The hellhound head butted him again and he was about ready to smack it when he noticed that the other Vlad's voice was coming to him through telepathy instead of actually being in his own mind. He looked down at the Hellhound and saw it glaring back at him. His past life was going to take over the familiar. Alucard slowly lowered Lina to the floor, the girl scampering under the table away from him and the beast following her, nuzzling her as she cried from how badly Alucard was frightening her. Lina wrapped her arms around the neck of the hellhound and closed her eyes, waiting for Alucard to hurt her. Alucard took a seat and the three sat there in silence, Lina wiping her tears off, fighting to be brave. Alucard ran his fingers through his hair as the warring urges to kill Lina and to comfort her passed through him. After an unknown amount of time Alucard reached under the table, offering his hand to Lina. Instead she crawled away and stood up on the other side of the table, putting space between them. Alucard could hear the other him snickering from the hellhounds' mind.

"Stay away from me…Don't come any closer." Alucard felt like he had been slapped. Even during their other fights when she had said similar words there was always the small undertone of playfulness. There was nothing but fear now, fear of him. Alucard pulled his hand back, the two falling silent once more. Slipping his sunglasses on Alucard sat back, noticing that her eyes were shining with energy again.

"Lina…I-"

"No…just no. I'm tired of it. I had to lie to myself for months because you refused to be honest with me. I want to be honest with you. I want to tell you these secrets I have. I don't want to keep them buried in a closet. I need someone that I can be me with, the real me, someone that isn't going to make me feel like shit, someone that isn't going to make me feel like I need to be ashamed of myself. I'm sorry that I'm exploding right now but you always let me know when you're frustrated and damn it you are going to give me the same courtesy and let me stand on my soap box so I can get this all off my chest. I want you to be honest with me. I knew your secret two weeks after we met, and as a Dracula fan girl, believe me I'm embarrassed that it took me two weeks to figure it out. I never confronted you about it because you didn't want to tell me. I figured that when you were ready you would tell me, and when you told me I would be able to broach the subject about my own secrets. I was terrified that if I told you you'd hate me. After what you did to me just now I made the right choice not telling you. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to not scream at you that keeping my secret is making me feel like I'm dying? I was dying inside for years back home because I was hiding myself from my family, the only asylum I had was in a few very close friends. Sean freaked out on me and tried to 'save' me. I can't tell you because I have no idea if you are going to react the way he did." Lina gripped her hair, leaning on the table between them.

"You knew that long ago. Was it the 'identity' that gave me away?" Her eyes snapped up and she looked livid.

"Are you fucking shitting me!? I pour out my heart and all you give a shit about is how I knew! Fuck you, you narcissistic piece of shit!" She tossed a scalpel at his head, enraged to the point where she forgot that he could kill her with his pinky. He caught it easily. He hoped she didn't start throwing the other items in the room, he doubted some of it would survive the toss. Alucard had never seen Lina this pissed and he was enjoying it. Her cheeks flushed a bright red, her eyes narrowed, and her bangs seemed to be curling up on her head, the light shining above them making her bangs look like horns. She walked around the table and stood up in front of him, her nail poking his chest as she leaned in close. "You want to know what gave you the fuck away. It was your fucking hair!" Her hands gripped strands of his hair, tugging on them in frustration. "One minute your hair is short, the next it's brushing against your shoulders! How the hell did you expect me to not notice that your hair would go from short to long and back to short without you ever making a trip to a fucking hair salon!" She had gripped his cravat and was jerking on it hard enough that he felt himself shift forward toward her. "Did you hear a fucking word I said you over grown leech! Or does every thought in this head of yours revolve around blood, sex, and yourself?" Her nail pressed against the skin of his forehead, pushing it back as she yanked him closer by his cravat. He liked this side of her, she was like a tigress that had been pushed to far in her cage and was finally attacking the handler.

"I hear you Lina." He grasped her wrists and easily pinned her to the table. Lina grunted as he pinned her, wincing as her head bounced off the table. Alucard quickly pushed his hips between her open legs, his free hand gripping her hip and he ground himself against her through their clothes. "Crystal clear." Alucard could feel the eyes of his hellhound watching him. Turning his head over his shoulder Alucard smirked, mouthing _'leave unless you want to watch'_ to the other Vlad who was still inside the beast. The creature melted away into the walls. Lina was trying desperately to get out of his grasp, twisting her arms and kicking at him.

"What are you d-" Alucard crushed his mouth to hers, his tongue pushed into her mouth and he just laughed darkly as she bit down. His tongue grew longer and flicked wildly around in her mouth. Lina gasped and he deepened the kiss, his fangs pressing against her lips as his tongue swirled in literal circles around her own. He could feel Lina fighting the kiss, his hand wrapping one of her legs around his waist as he pressed himself against her firmly, dominating her. His other hand gently held her head in place as he conquered her mouth, thrusting his tongue in and out. Lina shut her eyes and tried to hold in her little moans. Pressing her now freed hands against his chest she couldn't stop the pleasurable sensations he was giving her, her hands sliding up to wrap around his neck as her back arched to keep her pressed against him. She couldn't help herself, he was addicting. Wrapping her other leg around Alucard's waist Lina started to kiss him back. His hand traveled up Lina's body to grope her breasts gently. Each touch brought a whimper of need from her throat and Alucard had to pull away to let her gasp for air. She would have gladly kissed him till she ran out of air. Small tingles of electric pleasure traveled through her flesh.

"I am Vlad Dracula the third" He claimed her mouth again, his fingers running through her hair. "I am the Prince of Wallachia, and a member of the Order of the Dragon for the protection of the Catholic church." Alucard lowered his mouth to kiss her neck, the bruises from his earlier brutality already rising to the surface. "I am a vampire, the King of the undead, the scourge of the living." He slowly pulled his sunglasses off, staring into Lina's eyes with his glowing red orbs. "I am an ex-slave of the Hellsing family, they called me Alucard." He whispered the name against her lips and kissed her sweetly. "Is that the honesty you wanted?" She nodded; panting for air as she finally saw his real eyes. They were amazing, like rubies held up to a fire.

"I'm Christina Khayam…I come from a Shii'a Muslim family, I was baptized in a protestant church." Lina untangled her legs from around his waist. "If the Iranian revolution had never happened I would be somewhere around a princess or a duchess of my grandfather's 'tribe'." She let her fingers run through his hair. "I am a Channel. I can see, hear, and feel things on the metaphysical planes of existence. I channel spirits through my body, or communicate with them through my mind. I'm not very good at it; I need a lot more practice." Well that explained what she had meant when she said Van Helsing had given her permission. She must have been communicating with him. Lina took a deep breath, gently prying herself away from his hold. "I am also an awake soul. I can recall my past lives, and if you were watching my little freak out back in the house I was yelling at them. I'm not insane. I swear." If Alucard was not currently dealing with his own past life issues he would have laughed. "Promise you won't kill me over this next secret." Alucard blinked in confusion.

"Why?" She took a big breath, trying to steady her frazzled nerves. She was exposing herself to him for his judgment.

"Just please, swear you won't kill me. Swear on your honor Vlad." She was demanding things of him, but her eyes were pleading.

"I swear I will not kill you because of your secret." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes and drawing courage to tell him. She leaned in and nuzzled at the base of his throat. She was leaning in close to his ear, her lips trembling.

"I'm a witch."

Chapter End.


	17. It's What You Don't Know

Integra was sitting at her desk, double checking her schedule for the next week when the vampire floated through the floor and paced around the room, mumbling to himself. She set her paperwork down and watched him pace the entire length of the room is a few strides. When he made no move to speak to her Integra cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Is Miss Khayam still alive Vlad?" He barely looked up to acknowledge her.

"She's alive." He started to pace from side to side, looking like he was about ready to burst. She slipped her hand under the desk and pushed the panic button to call Walter.

"Did you take her to the medical ward?" He was wearing his hat and glasses. It was strange to see him dressed like that when he was no longer waiting for her orders.

"I locked her up in my old chamber. I didn't know what to do with her." He waved his hand in a gesture that acted to wipe the notion of Lina's possible need of medical attention.

"Excuse me? You locked her up in your old chambers after you rescue her because you didn't know what to do with her. On what deranged level in your head did that make sense? I'm just curious."

"She's safe there till I can figure out what to do with her. I swore I wouldn't kill her, I gave her my word. Orders would be to put bullet through her brains, but I don't want to do it. And if I don't do it you will." Alucard spit the words out, but she couldn't tell if he was excited of disgusted by the prospect of killing the girl. Knowing him it was probably both. She pressed the button once more. Walter had better get into her office soon.

"Why would I kill her? I may be angry that she went snooping around my house, but I can't kill her for it." He turned mid step to look at her, his fingers flexing in his agitation. Walter had better come soon or else Hellsing would have no leader.

"England deems witchcraft an offense punishable by death." Integra looked at him with a look of disbelief.

"What does that have to do with anything Vlad?" Walter opened the doors and quickly strode over to stand at the side of her desk. Alucard barely noticed and began to pace once more.

"She's a witch!" Alucard said it with a mixture of rage, disappointment, and delight. The rage was the most obvious of his emotions.

"Vlad, I don't understand why you are getting so upset. Parliament repealed the last anti-witchcraft law in 1951." When she said that Vlad stopped his pacing and looking at her like she had given him the pardon on a death sentence. Integra was a tad confused, turning to Walter. "It's not like Hellsing actually hunted witches right Walter?"

"The Hellsing organization's mission is to destroy all threats to the Church of England and the Crown. When I joined the organization the entry level missions were exterminating witch covens." Integra was shocked; none of the paperwork she had ever looked through mentioned those missions. "Sir Hellsing, Vlad was looked away in 1946. When you woke him up it seems that we failed to update him on the new laws."

"So you mean to tell me that this organization actually killed humans as part of our everyday routine?" She felt like her whole world was just tiled. Arthur Hellsing would have signed off on missions that had humans as the targets.

"Sir Hellsing times were different then. Anything deemed a threat to the church was hunted down and killed." Integra was staring at Walter with new eyes. Why had father never mentioned these things to her?

"Hellsing used witchcraft and alchemy since we were founded. How else would Abraham been able to build Alucard into a weapon?" The vampire leered when she said it.

"Yes…in secret. That's one reason the lower levels were sealed off. No evidence." Walter explained. The office door opened and Lina was standing there, glaring at Alucard. Seras walked up behind her and closed the door. "Ah, Miss Khayam, thank goodness you are alive. We were worried that you met an unpleasant fate down stairs." Lina gave him a smile as she walked across the room to look up at the vampire. She motioned for him to lean down to her level with an angelic smile on her face. He forgot that she had the keys to the dungeons.

"ASSHOLE!" She screamed loud enough to catch Alucard off guard, kicking him in the shin before she tackled him to the ground while his ears were ringing, putting her hands around his throat Lina tried to bash his head into the floor. "I'm going to fucking kill you! Do you hear me! I will find a way to do it you undead son of a bitch!" Integra burst into a fit of laughter at the sight of the vampire floored with the small girl over him bashing his head into the floor. Walter gave a small chuckle as well until they all noticed that she was bashing his head in hard enough for blood to mist over the floor from the impact. Seras rushed over and started to try and pry Lina off Alucard. Not worried about him but about what he would do to Lina. "Get your hands off me you fucking energy sucking bitch!" She elbowed Seras and continued to strangle Alucard. It wouldn't kill him but damn was it satisfying. Walter moved over and the two of them pried Lina off Vlad. She was jerking against their hold and her limbs were flaying. "You left me down there! I tell you my secrets and you just lock me up down there and tell me that I should say my prayers! Go shove a hot fire poker up your fucking piss hole!" Lina was absolutely livid. Seras had trouble dragging Lina out of Integra's office. Walter told Seras to take Lina to the hospital wing. Lina definitely needed the sedative. Alucard just lay there on the floor, blood seeping from his wounds were his skull had cracked. Integra had her gun loaded and flipped the safety off. Vlad chuckled in his normal evil way, slowly standing up and putting his hand to the wounds, his cackle growing stronger as he found blood on his hand. Integra watched as he tossed his head back, her lips pursing as blood drops splattered over the wall behind him and hit one of the portraits.

"Marvelous. She's perfect. Don't you think Integra? She actually wounded me. A human like her hurt me." He was still laughing maniacally.

"I think you had better clean this mess up Vlad. Those portraits can never be replaced and your disgusting blood is on them." His eyes were shining brightly with delight at the sight of his own blood. He used his powers to draw his blood back to his body and repaired his flesh. "Once Lina is treated you can feel free to take her home, or have the troops drive her back if her safety with you is in question. Keep your phone on; I may have a mission for you next Friday if the troops aren't ready. Now get out of my office." Vlad strode out of the room and made to follow Seras to the medical wing. "Walter."

"I'm on it Sir Integra." Walter quickly followed the vampire, closing the door to Integra's office on his way out.

"Those two are perfect for each other. That worries me."

\-----------------------------

Medical Wing…

Lina was crying as Seras held her down, the first needle piercing her skin making her whimper. Lina could feel the liquid being forced into her vein, her nails digging into the cushion of the examination table Seras pinned her to it. The first needle was pulled out; a second needle following near the same injection spot. The pain of this shot was even worse. The liquid was forcing her vein to stretch to accommodate the sudden rush of fluids. When the second needle pulled out and the doctor wiped away the drops of blood from the injection site Seras loosened her hold on Lina.

"See…those didn't hurt at all did it." Lina calmed down from crying to sniffling, the sedative they had given her kicking in quickly. The fact that Seras was so close to her body wasn't helping. Lina was very aware of her energy being siphoned away to the vampire. She had been saving all that energy for banishing the Spooky Man. It was too late now, her energy was stolen and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. Lina would get Seras for this. The vampire may not know what she was doing, but Seras would get the point soon enough. An angry red splotch in the shape of a very large hand was visible on her neck, the bruise would be a nasty one; her wrists were in no better shape, the bump to the head becoming a sudden ache. Lina knew she was going to be in pain for a while. She was hyper sensitive to injuries. Seras finally let go and Lina thought it wasn't a minute to soon, any longer and she would have passed out. "Miss, sit up please so I can examine your neck." She groaned as she made to follow the request, her vision tilting, the entire room slanted to the left.

"I'm getting vertigo here…" Lina winced as the doctor prodded at her neck. "That hurts…don't poke it so hard." The doctor walked away and came back with a cream.

"These bruises are going to be a problem. You will need to rotate ice and hot packs. That should help contain the swelling and reduce further bruising. This cream will act as a cooling gel till you can get ice on it. Can you apply this yourself?" Lina wanted to shake her head no but her neck was starting to lock up.

"No…" Lina hated sedatives, they weakened her abilities to the point where she may as well not have any. Lina was only aware of Vlad standing next to her when his red coat and fedora appeared at the edge of her vision. "If you're here to kill me do it quick, I don't do pain." He leaned down, his sunglasses reflecting the artificial lighting in the room. She couldn't read the expression on his face. She saw his hand reach out and then approach her neck, Lina shutting her eyes. When his fingers brushed over her neck with the ice cold cream she shivered. "Thank you…I guess my temper got the better off me. I'm sorry. Good thing you aren't human though, otherwise I'd be in a lot of legal trouble." He put an even coat of the cream on her bruised flesh. "Why aren't you saying anything?" Vlad put the wrap the doctor handed him on her.

"I'm not saying anything because there is nothing to say while you are drugged. When you are back in your head we will talk. I was hoping I would get here before they drugged you." Her eyelids were feeling heavy and every nerve ending started to spark to life. Vlad moved to rub the cream on her wrist.

"I wish you had been here too. Then maybe they wouldn't have done it." She gave Seras a dirty look. "Don't touch me ever again." Seras looked hurt.

"I'm just following orders Miss Khayam. That's no reason for you to get mad at me." Vlad was wrapping Lina's wrists, listening to the exchange between his fledgling and his girlfriend.

"I doubt your orders include draining me dry." Lina thought she whispered it, but it was loud enough that Walter heard her as he walked into the room. Walter waved the doctor out of the room.

"What are you talking about Lina?" Vlad's voice was impassive. Seras felt a shiver go down her spine.

"She is draining my energy…every time I'm around her I get weak and tired because she is feeding off my energy. Stupid vampire." Lina was dozing off quickly and her body was going limp. "I don't feel good. I need to lie down." Lina closed her eyes. "Vlad…can you take me home and we finish our fight when I'm feeling better?" He easily picked her up, her hands gripping his coat.

"Fine."

\----------------------------

October 16…Vance Residence…7 a.m.

Lina woke up to Vlad looming over. His eyes were a glowing crimson and his grin looked more like a shark's mouth. A scream welled up in her, but before the cry even left her lips his hand was firmly in place over her mouth. Her eyes widened as his tongue slid out of his mouth, the forked tip flicking against her cheek. She tried to push him away, finding that his hands were gently holding her wrists off to the side. Wait a minute. One hand on her mouth, on hand one her left wrist, and one hand on her right wrist. Where the hell was the third hand coming from! He laughed darkly as her eyes darted to look at were his hands held her wrist and back to the hand covering her mouth. A fourth hand pulling her hair from the bun and spreading it over her pillow. It dawned on Lina that she was only in her panties…and Vlad was definitely not wearing a shirt. From her angle she couldn't tell if his pants were on or not but his track record would point to no. The only thing standing between their bodies was the sheet as he loomed over her. Lina squeezed her thighs together, not sure if she was protecting herself from him or her from herself. Vlad looked different. His hair was just past his shoulders, and he seemed…older. No, that wasn't the right was to describe it. He just looked less like the Vlad she was used to. But this face was still familiar.

"Buna dimineata vrăjitoare meu mai mic. Te-ai vise dulce? M-am gândit la ce mi-ai făcut noaptea trecută. Tu de fapt, m-au atacat. Ai fost frumos pentru a viziona. Ochii strălucind cu intenţia de moarte aşa cum aţi lovit cu capul de podea. (1)" Lina had no idea what he was saying, but it sounded sexy. A little tingle of pleasure ran down her spine. She winced as her neck reminded her that it was extremely sore and in a bandage wrap. The hand that had been playing in her hair lazily moved to gently caress her throat, his eyes locked with hers. "Cu toate acestea, pentru tot ce furie in interiorul vostru, eu încă mai putea te omor aşa uşor. Chiar şi acum am nevoie doar de a stoarce şi viaţa dumneavoastră ar aluneca departe aşa cum am ceas. (2)" Lina was positive that was a threat. She felt his fingers nimbly undo the bandage wrapped on her throat, his fingers ghosting over the flesh, encouraging blood flow to the red area without applying pressure. While she had slept Vlad had been sure to treat her properly, putting ice packs on the injuries. "Uite ce-am făcut pentru tine. O amprenta perfecta de brutalitate mele pe trupul vostru. Aceasta excita mine şi-mi respinga, în acelaşi timp să-l văd. Nu minti. Ai sa bucurat simt de a fi dominat, simt de viata ta fiind controlată de mine. Eu ştiu ce fel de fata esti. (3)" One of his apparently numerous hands was caressing up her stomach towards her breasts. "Ai nevoie de a fi controlate. Ai nevoie de a fi dominat. Ai nevoie de mine să se pronunţe cu tine. (4)" Each syllable made her heart beat quicken and her blood warm, the heat travelling through her veins and arteries till it pooled between her thighs. He cupped her left breast, his fingers molding over her flesh with expert ease. This was not fair! He was way too good at this. Her eyelids fluttered as his fingers languorously explored the soft flesh shielded by the bed sheet. "Ai dorinta de a-mi spui rege? Sau poate vrei sa-mi spui maestru? (5)" Toes and fingers were curling as pleasurable little jolts of electricity travelled through her nerve endings. Her cheeks were flushed bright red. Whatever the fuck Vlad was saying she hoped he would stop, or else she might beg him to continue. He leaned down, his lips mere centimeters away from her ear. "Poţi să-mi iubitul tău. (6)" The husky way he said those words made her shut her thighs even tighter. It wouldn't help; she could feel herself becoming wet. He could very well be giving her death threats, but the way he said those words she just couldn't help being turned on. The hand covering her mouth slowly left to cup her cheek, fingers playing in her hair. It took Lina a few minutes to catch her voice, trying to not moan as his thumb rubbed at her hardening nipple.

"I have no idea what you just said…but could you please stop molesting me with more than one set of hands…I don't think I can handle it." A dark chuckle rumbled from his chest. The hands holding her wrists down vanished as if they had never existed. He looked down at her, a wickedly sexy smirk on his face. Lina had to shake her head to clear away the haze he was creating in her mind with his wonderful fingers. "What were you saying to me?" The question came out almost breathlessly. He gave her that predatory smile.

"I said I'm thrilled you are so violent." His fingers gripped her hair firmly, not enough to hurt her, just enough that he made her moan. "But that if you ever attack me again without my express permission to do so you had better finish me off for good because I do not take well to being humiliated." He thrust his tongue into her mouth and gave her now hard nipple a gentle pinch, chuckling as she moaned into his mouth. "I will let this one slide by since I have done enough damage to you, and the fact that I probably should have taken the keys from you." He removed his hands from her completely and rolled to lay on his back next to her, a self satisfied smirk on his lips. Lina laid there, her body screaming at the sudden loss of his hands and the comforting weight of him over her prone form. Dear god, at this rate she was liable to jump him. "A cold shower should help." She darted an evil glare at him. The bastard was doing this on purpose! She pulled the bed sheet around her and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door firmly. His dark laughter still followed her. She clicked the lock in place. She knew it was futile, but she apparently loved exercises in futility. She let the sheet drop and splashed her face with cold water to try and wake up from the lust daze.

Looking in the mirror Lina turned a brighter shade of red. Vlad had undressed her down to her panties. Oh dear god that was embarrassing. She looked down at her panties and felt like she was about to die. Yesterday she had been wearing plain white panties…today she was wearing the red panties with the black ribbons. Cracking the door open she looked at him lounging on her bed.

"Did you change my underwear?" He looked up at her, propping his head up with pillows.

"No, you did. But you let me pick. And before you ask, no, I didn't see you naked. I left the room." There was something he wasn't telling her, she knew it. And that sicko actually went snooping through her panties!

"What happened after I passed out last night?" He gave her that evil smirk again. She had a sneaking suspicion her past lives may have done something…but what?

"You were…entertaining. You kept whispering all these naughty fantasies in my ear. For shame Lina. I would have never guessed you were such a deviant. You even tried to strip me down." He licked his lips. "Then again…it wasn't exactly you doing any of it at all. I must say. I quite enjoyed Sandra's company. At least I did till she started to get high off the sedative they gave you." Lina was going to fucking kill Sandra. "How many of those past lives do you have any way?" Lina winced as the position put strain on her neck.

"A lot. Twelve of them I can remember and interact with, and at least thirty others that I can't. The ones I can't interact with are splitters, life times that you kind of just throw away and meant very little. Oh, and I have one visitor that always kicks it in my head." Vlad looked at her, waiting for the punchline to that joke. When she closed the door and turned the shower on he was still staring where her head had been. He had a lot of souls in his body from the blood of his victims, but none of them could actually bother his mind, they were just locked away until he used them. He closed his eyes and settled in; a short nap would be pleasant. Today was a perfectly sunny day, and he hated it.

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Downstairs…

Seth and Matt were sitting on the couch watching the news. For the first time since he had turned eighteen Matt was excited about attending a high society event. Integra had actually accepted his request. True the letter had been very impersonal, but it was a letter all the same. A hand brushed through his hair. Maybe he should dye his hair so he would be more presentable? Na. He looked good with the red streaks. Matt would definitely need to get a good suit, and take the good car. As much as he loved his van Matt knew it wasn't exactly the nicest looking car out there.

"So…What's her name?" Matt looked over at Seth; the white haired young man smiling patiently for an answer.

"I don't know what you are talking about Seth." Seth arched his pierced eyebrow.

"You haven't gone out on a date since you took your aunt to that ball thing in August. Who is she?" Matt shifted uncomfortably.

"So I didn't go out on a date. Big deal. I'm just not interested in any of the girls we meet." Seth did not believe him, turning the volume down on the TV.

"Steve! Kyle! Come in here!" The twins wandered into the room from the kitchen, both wolfing down on bowls of cereal.

"What?" They said it in synch. It was weird seeing the two men mirroring each other's actions almost perfectly.

"Do you guys think Matt has been acting weird?" They seemed to think about it and nodded their heads.

"Yes. There was that super cute brunette last week that was sending him some major signals and he totally brushed her off. Not that I'm complaining, she was good." Steve said.

"And the blonde two weeks ago that practically threw herself at him. You haven't been paying any attention to any of the girls." Kyle said, slurping down the milk at the bottom of his bowl. Matt shifted again. He didn't think his friends paid that close attention to his habits.

"What's her name Matt? We want to know." Seth repeated, leaning in closer to Matt to make him even more uncomfortable. Matt resisted the urge to punch Seth.

"If there is a girl, and I'm not saying there is, why would I tell any of you? I don't have to involve you with my relationships. I prefer to keep all of you as far away from it as possible if you boys don't mind." The three boys looked at each other and moved in to trap Matt against the couch.

"So is she a dog? Is that why we haven't seen her? She must be ugly." Matt felt his hands curl into fists.

"She's not ugly you wankers." The boys all smirked and Matt realized they had tricked him.

"So there is a girl! Come on man! Stop holding out on us! What's her name? Just tell us her name and we'll stop asking you." Matt made to leave the little vulture circle his friends were making around him. They blocked his escape and Matt found himself walled in.

"No. Now move or I'll kick you all out. I'm still your landlord you idiots." They guys all frowned but moved to let him escape their little circle. They followed him into the kitchen.

"What does she look like? Just tell us that and we'll all leave you alone." Steve said, all three guys ready to guess who it was that had Matt so distracted. "Is she a brunette?" Matt shook his head. "A blonde?" He didn't answer. "So it is a blonde. Okay, is her hair past her shoulders?" Matt turned his back on his friends, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Guys, stop this. It's none of your business. It's not like I'm dating her." The smirks on his friends' faces got wider.

"Ah…you like her, but she doesn't like you. She's definitely from high society then." Matt felt his hands grip his coffee mug tighter so he wouldn't smack Steve.

"If it will make you all shut the hell up. It's Director Wingates. I ran into her at the gala I escorted Aunt Janette to, we started talking, and I am escorting her to an event in two days. Now all of you zip your traps and let me enjoy my coffee." His friends were looking at him with blank expressions and Matt moved to pour some creamer into the coffee. Seth, Steve, and Kyle all looked at each other in disbelief. Matt paired with that frigid woman? Was Matt trying to have his self esteem crushed?

"You are setting your sights a tad too high, don't you think. She was as friendly as a statue, and you don't really have much to offer her. She's from the ton, men with a lot more money and titles. No offense Matt, but as your friends we need to at least voice our concern."

"Thanks, but maybe next time you should build someone's confidence instead of break it down. Some friends you guys are. I'll be in my room." Matt walked up the stairs to the third floor. As Matt moved to his room he saw Vlad being nudged out of Lina's room. The tall man leaned against the wall, waiting for something. Vlad was in boxers and his hair messed up from sleep. "Hey. I don't remember you being let in?" Vlad blinked and looked up at Matt. The hairs on the back of Matt's neck rose as he saw a flash of red eyes before they changed to brown. That was probably just a trick of the light. Matt walked over to Vlad, staying out of arm's reach.

"Lina and I came home while you were out."

"Alright Vlad. Lina said you worked for Director Wingates so I have a question for you. What does she care about when it comes to picking guys? Money or personality?" Vlad laughed and Matt felt the urge to cover his ears at the evil sound.

"She's never been interested in any man. Why do you care? Don't tell me. You're interested." Vlad sneered. Matt would swear he saw fangs.

"She's never been interested, so then I have a good chance with her. After all, she's letting me escort her to Sir Islands' gala." Vlad was about to deliver a scathing replay when Lina tossed the door open wearing only a fluffy bathrobe and practically jumped onto Vlad. Her eyes were wide with fear and her nails could be seen digging into Vlad's skin, little crescent shaped indents on his flesh.

"Oh my god! Kill it. Kill it." Vlad quickly put his hand over her mouth to silence her frantic speech. Matt could see a large red splotch on Lina's neck that was not covered by the collar of her robe Her wet hair was covering it so he couldn't tell what it was.

"What's wrong now weakling?" Matt had never seen the two of them interacting before, it was strange. Matt watched the couple similarly to how those hosts on animal planet shows. She simply pointed to the room and he poked his head in the door. "A spider? You are kidding me? You want me to kill a spider." She nodded as she looked up at Vlad with pleading eyes. Vlad's hand slowly moved from Lina's mouth.

"I'm arachnophobic! I can't help it if spiders freak me out. The way they move on their gross legs, and how they chase me with them." She started to squirm and twitch nervously. "Please…just kill it. I hate spiders! I don't care what you do to it, rip its legs off, squish its head, or drown it. Just please get rid of it." Vlad's eyebrow rose with interest at her surprisingly unkind methods for disposing of the little creature.

"Just put it outside Lina. There's no point in having Vlad kill the poor thing." She gave Matt a glare at the suggestion.

"No. This thing tried to attack me. If I had stumbled across the nasty thing I would make Vlad move it, but it dangled in my face on purpose from the ceiling so it has to die. Vlad be a man and squish the spider for me." She was squeezing his hand in both of hers as she looked up with shimmering hopeful eyes.

"So I'm not a man if I don't squish a pathetic spider?" Vlad sounded agitated.

"No, you just won't be my man if you don't squish the spider. The whole reason I need a man is so he will squish spiders for me. Now go squish it before it gets away." Vlad rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath as he went into the room and brought the spider out of the room, it crawling around in the palm of his hand. Lina jumped back away from him as the spider crawled over Vlad's hand, she looked like she was about to vomit. It crawled to the tip of Vlad's index finger, becoming pinned as Vlad brought his thumb down on top of it. Matt winced as he saw the spiders legs flailing as it tried to escape. There was a sickening crunch as its guts were forced out of its body in a vulgar mix of red and green pus. Its legs straightened before they twitched with the aftershocks of death. Lina looked away, not wanting to see the disturbing image.

"It's dead. Happy now?" Lina peaked and a smile crossed her lips, tugging Vlad closer and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Matt frowned as she kissed Vlad as a reward for the display.

"Yes. Now wash your hand off, I don't need you rubbing spider guts everywhere." He rolled his eyes and went into Lina's room again. Lina made to follow Vlad before Matt cleared his throat. "Sorry Matt, how are you today?"

"I'm fine. Vlad has been here a lot lately. Do I need to start collecting rent?" He asked with a smile to her. As much as Matt may feel uncomfortable around Vlad, Lina was still his friend.

"No. He's just been crashing here. Apparently Sean found his place and did something to it." Matt nodded. "What is new in your life?"

"I'm escorting Director Wingates to a gala on the eighteenth." The others would tell Lina, he may as well break the news, before it was exaggerated by gossip. He brought his coffee to his lips.

"She's wearing royal blue with gold jewelry." Matt stopped mid sip to look at her. "I was over there last night. I helped her pick it out."

"Lina can you tell me something, as a woman, what are you attracted to? What makes you like a guy?" Lina thought about it for a moment, her hand running through her damp hair.

"I'm different from Integra. So what I look for in a guy is probably not what she's looking for. She's independent and runs a massive organization." Matt seemed a bit crest fallen. "But, she is still a woman. Just treat her with respect, make her laugh when it is appropriate, be a gentleman, and more importantly, be you. She obviously liked something about you if she's letting you be seen with her in public." Matt shrugged and let a smile cross his face. "If you want to impress her though, kill her 'spiders'." He let out a chuckle.

"You've been the most helpful person today about this." Lina shrugged, getting ready to close the door to her room. She gave him a smile.

"Glad I can be of help. So…I'm going to be in my room now." Matt put his hand on the door to stop her from closing it.

"Before I forget, can you watch Samantha on the eighteenth? Aunt Janette and Uncle Charles are going to be attending the gala as well."

"No problem." Lina closed the door. With a sigh she moved back into her bedroom and opened the balcony doors to let fresh air circulate through the room. "Vlad…How long has Seras been a vampire?" She moved to sit on her bed, pulling out the book from one of Vlad's pockets so she could start reading it. He came from the bathroom and flopped onto her bed. Lina quickly switched her position as his feet came dangerously close to her face. Scrunching her nose in disgust Lina yanked pillows from him so she could be propped up. Finding the page she marked Lina carefully set the book on the side table as she went to collect a notepad and pen to take notes on the creature.

"She's been a fledgling for a while. She's not a vampire yet. She won't drink blood regularly." He said it with a tone that said he was not going to discuss the topic further. He leaned over her shoulder to see what she was reading. He had slipped the book into his pocket after he had locked her up last night and put the maps back were they belonged before he had gone to Integra. If she went through the dungeons for the book he may as well let her read it. He would simply put it back when she was finished and Integra would never know the difference. "What is this for?" She didn't bother to look up from the book, instead jotting down notes in a horrendous scrawl she called her handwriting. It reminded him of a serial killer's.

"I need to get rid of the 'Spooky Man' before Halloween. I gave Samantha my word that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her and that includes being tormented by metaphysical beings." His head was resting on her shoulder. Lina stopped what she was doing and looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "I kind of enjoy a space bubble when I work. You can invade my personal space after this okay?" Vlad wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his bare chest, nipping at her ear lobe with his fangs. Lina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming her nerves down and calling on a past life that wouldn't become excited around him. Opening her eyes again she easily ignored his touch and his attempts to distract her. Reading more and scrawling more notes on the creature. Her handwriting changed from the serial killer to more of a medical shorthand. He started to lick at her neck. "Can you get me another ice pack, my neck still hurts." Vlad pulled away, accepting his task as it was his fault. He melted into shadows and slipped through the floors to grab ice packs and appeared in once piece on her bed again. Lina took the packs and wrapped them around the bruised flesh, shivering as the ice chilled her flesh. "Thank you, and I forgive you. But next time you do this...we really are through."

"I accept your condition. I broke my word about not being like him. I swear on my honor, I won't lay a hand on you again if you don't want it." His voice dipped lower, a seriousness in it that he meant.

"I would feel better if you swore it in blood." She said it, but he could still feel her staying close.

"What is so bad about the Spooky Man anyway? So he gives her nightmares, that is not the worst a spirit can do." He pulled a blood pack out of his coat and started to sip it in front of her loudly, wanting to draw a reaction. Lina barely looked up from what she was doing at the show he was putting on. "I kill things and here you are sitting comfortably with me while I'm almost naked."

"Well, Samantha calls it the Spooky Man, but it's actually one of the many types of 'boogie men'. Every child has a boogie man that tries to scare the child into committing sins. The color of the boogie man correlates to the child's' greatest fear. Not all boogie men are at the same strength. Boogie men get stronger as a child's fear gets stronger, and the stronger a boogie man gets the more it can scare the child. A vicious cycle basically. When we are born, for the first five years of our life we are all somewhat 'psychic' or 'sensitive'. Basically we can all see ghosts, demons, angels and those kinds of things when we are young. As we grow up we lose the ability because society convinces us that those things are just our imagination and our third eye closes. Children that grow up into people like me are much more susceptible to boogie men and evil spirits because we can see them long after most children can't. Of course children that have grown out of that phase of seeing boogie men can still be influenced by the fear boogie men create. That fear turns into a motivation to do bad things to make the boogie man go away because he whispers to us when we are asleep that if we do bad things he'll leave us alone. He's lying of course. He always comes back with worse and worse things for us to do. When we are awake he reaffirms our paranoia by exposing us to the things we fear. The goal of the boogie man is to get us to become bad people that do bad things so when we die we go to hell instead of heaven. The fact that he has given Samantha so many nightmares means she hasn't done anything and she's being extremely brave since the thing is strong enough to the point were I am actively fighting it on the metaphysical plane." She stopped for a moment and was copying something on the pages to the notepad, the pen scratching quickly over the paper as the fingers of her left hand traced the words on the page so she wouldn't get lost. He had no idea Lina knew so much about metaphysical monsters, or that the boogie man was such a nasty pest. Then again she could just be pulling it all out of her ass. She looked up at him with very dark brown eyes. "You need to get Seras to be a proper blood drinking vampire. Thanks to her grabbing me today all the metaphysical energy I was saving up to banish Samantha's boogie man is keeping her in her chipper mood. I might not have enough to banish the boogie man by the new moon." That's right; he had almost forgotten to ask her about the last thing she said before she had passed out heading for la la land.

"Vampires feed off blood, not energy. I thought you knew a lot about vampires, how disappointing." She glared up at Vlad obviously pissed that he was basically calling her stupid. She put a bookmark to keep her page and got up from her bed. She moved to the closet and opened it, disappearing into its depths and the sound of things being shifted, lifted, and moved came to him. A thud came from the closet and then it was silent. Vlad sat up slightly, getting ready to rescue her from her closet. A few seconds later Lina came back to the bed carrying an antique leather bound book in her arms, a lock secured into the cover. She placed it on his lap before moving over to the clutter on her dresser. He could see her in the mirror carefully searching through the bottom drawer of her jewelry box for what he assumed was the key to the book. Picking it up Vlad examined the old leather book. It smelt distinctly of a young ladies perfume, crushed flowers, and sage. Lina came back with a key, opening the book and gently coaching each page to turn till she came to the section she was looking for. Lina's hair softly drifted over her shoulders in big, soft curls, strands of hair still shimmering from the shower. She took on the scent from the book for a moment and he swore she looked different, more matured, and beautifully ripe for the plucking. He reached out to run his fingers through her hair when she looked up at him. She was still the young nineteen year old girl. He felt like he had been splashed with scalding hot water. What was he doing? He was constantly groping her, molesting her, he even ground himself against her. She was still an inexperienced girl. Lina leaned in closer to him, her lips moving. He looked down to what she was pointing at. He read the paragraph and looked up. "Well, even I can learn new things it seems." She smirked at the small triumph of her knowledge, not sensing his inner turmoil over dating her. "Where did you get that book any way?"

"I bought it in an antique book store on a trip to San Francisco. It was actually really strange. I was wandering around the city with my mom; I just felt something calling to me. I followed the sensation straight into the store, past all the other books and there it was in the back collecting dust. I'm shocked it was there. It's not a book you find everywhere. The only other place I could think of for finding the same book would be in Director Wingates' libraries. Sandra was so happy to find it though. It may not be the exact same book she had, but it has the same feel and information. Like her book, just updated so I can read and understand it." She carefully put the book and key back into their hiding spots. She was so young, weak, and childish. Vlad ran a hand through his hair. He needed to kill something. Killing always helped him calm down. The answer to this problem would come to him as blood rained down.

"Tell me more about Sandra. She was so busy telling me about you I didn't bother asking about her. " He was interested to know more about her and her past lives. It felt like the past five months they had dated was they had dated each others masks, now they were learning who they really were. She came back out of the closet, settling back into her previous seat and taking up the notepad and book again.

"I rather not talk about Sandra. I would actually prefer to not tell you anything more than I absolutely have to about my past lives." He tossed the empty blood packet into his coat and pulled out another one.

"Why not?" She sighed heavily and looked at him.

"It's depressing to me okay. It's like if I asked you to tell me how it felt when you got beat by Van Helsing. It's a memory you don't want to dwell on unless it's absolutely necessary." He sipped on the blood and stretched his arms out over his head, looking at her and his interest in knowing grew greater.

"Maybe if you tell me they won't be as depressing any more. Think of it as me helping them get their feelings off their chest." She playfully smacked his face with her notepad.

"Actually Vlad I do need your help. Since Seras stole my energy, can I borrow some of yours? You wouldn't even notice it was used. I want to do this when Samantha comes over on the eighteenth so she can finally get some rest. Of course I'll need to build up enough of my energy to purify your energy so it won't backfire on us. But that is a simpler process for me." Lina rose once more from the bed and disappeared into the closet again, carrying out three more books that were covered to hide what their titles were.

"Wait, banishing a boogie man is harder than you purifying my evil energy?" Lina simply nodded a yes. "How the hell is that easier for you? Purifying my energy should be a death sentence." He would not stand for this insult.

"It's easier for me to purify your energy because I do that with Sha all the time. It's not easier because of the strength of the energy; it's easier because I have so much practice with it. Besides, you like Samantha just a little right? At the very least you have some empathy for what she experienced. That kind of honest emotion is the key to me purifying the small amount of your energy I need from you. Please Vlad? I promise I'll make it worth your while." She put all the books on the bedside table and leaned over him, kissing at the base of his ear. She was trying to appease his anger and it was working. "I'll give you a marvelous rub down if you help me out Vlad." She whispered seductively in his ear, it sounded more like Sandra. He looked down at her and the ice pack on her neck came to his attention again.

"I'll help. You don't have to bribe me. I'm interested in seeing how this is going to work." She smiled and pecked him on the lips. "I'm going to go out for a while. I need to release some stress." He got off her bed and began to dress. Lina opened all four books and started to flip through them till she found pages she was interested in.

"Hunting Sean and the others down?" He nodded, looking for his cravat. Lina tossed it to him. "Tip, Sean loves Persian food. He can pack away three Persian sized plates away easily. Since I haven't been cooking for him he would have hit up Persian restaurants trying to find one he likes. He lives for beef kebab barg." Well, that wasn't exactly how he liked to hunt his prey, but it would be a starting point. "If you need a picture there is one stuffed somewhere in my wallet."

"Why do you still have pictures of him?" It felt like a pinch as he pulled it out of her wallet.

"Yeah…I still have a lot of pictures of Sean and me together. I just don't feel right getting rid of them."

"Why not?" He nearly spit the words out.

"I don't want to forget that he was nice at one point. He isn't all bad Vlad, just like you aren't all bad. Maybe I'm hoping that this whole psycho thing blows over and Sean goes back to the polite Catholic boy I met. Not going to happen I know, but I can hope can't I?"

"If you were hoping he'd turn back into the boy you met so you could go back to him think again, he's going to be nothing but dust under my boot." He was not jealous of this boy. But...if she could forgive him..couldn't she just as easily forgive this boy.

"I know…I wasn't going to go back to him. I just don't want the only memories of him to be...to be unhappy ones."

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October 17…outskirts of Essex…7 a.m.

Sean and the other werewolves had fled the outskirts of London when the hail storm started. It had been two days since they had eaten human food, instead feeding off wild animals they had hunted. Sean ripped off a chuck of meat from the deer and sunk his teeth into the raw, bloody muscle. With a jerk a piece of muscle broke off, a few quick chews and he swallowed it. Blood was dripping down each and every one of the wolves' mouths, coating their clothes with the red liquid. Seven deer carcasses were strewn about the house they were occupying. The original inhabitants were stashed away in the closet upstairs. They were starting to stink up the joint. A trip to a store for some air fresheners was a must, booze too. He obviously had under-estimated the powers of Dracula, but Sean was determined to kill the vampire and save his mate-to-be. Sean could feel his inner beast growing impatient with the inaction. Sean wanted to kill the vampire with his own two hands, but he needed to be smart about this. If there was some way he could maybe get Lina away from Dracula for just a few hours he might be able to snap her out of the brainwashing the vampire must have used to trick Lina into dating it. Sean would also need to weaken Dracula, take away some of those unholy powers so they would be on equal footing. The werewolf inside of him was licking its chops at the prospect of battle. If Sean could remember the powers Dracula had he could systematically disable them. Obviously Dracula could create storms. Dracula could control minds. Dracula had superhuman senses and strength, but Sean had those too. An evil smirk slid onto his blood coated face as he chewed on another lump of meat. If he could poison Dracula he would have a sporting chance at killing the unholy vampire, and that would make him the most badass monster ever. Sean shifted in the chair as he felt himself getting horny at the idea of becoming the ultimate monster. If that happened he could have any girl he wanted. He could keep an entire harem of bitches.

"Boys…a few of you need to take those corpses upstairs and bury them out back. Others of you need to find some clean clothes and go shopping for stuff to keep the stench down; we don't need neighbors getting suspicious. The rest of you I want to clear out. I need some time alone. Go on, get the fuck out." The wolves all grumbled but did as Sean ordered, dragging the fresh carcass out of the living room to give their alpha some privacy. Once he was alone Sean pushed his pants down, turning the TV on and going straight for the porn movies they had ordered in the families account. With a blood soaked hand Sean gripped himself and let his tongue roll out as he panted.

\--------------------------------

London…9 a.m.

Lina sighed as she wrapped the heating packs on her wrists and neck, the skin turning from red to purple and she hoped that she wouldn't need to go to the hospital. Wrapping a long purple pashmina over her neck and head Lina sighed. The only times she truly looked Persian was when she covered her hair and wrapped a scarf around her. She pulled sweat bands over her wrists to hide the bruises there. Vlad had been gone since yesterday and she was relieved. As much as she liked him, she was nowhere near comfortable seeing him twenty four seven. She needed privacy. Pulling on a long sleeve shirt, thick blue jeans, and a heavy wool jacket Lina laughed at how she was way to thin skinned to live in the U.K. With thick socks on Lina picked up her check list of supplies she would need for tomorrow night. Packing her purse with herb collecting bags Lina grabbed her boots and headed down stairs. Kyle was waiting for her in the kitchen, the microwave pinging. Kyle pulled the hot pocket out and let it sit for a minute.

"Thanks so much for coming with me Kyle. I wouldn't have the foggiest idea of where to go without you." She poured herself a bowl of cereal.

"It's not a big deal Lina. Just remember, anyone asks, you took me." Lina nodded in understanding. Kyle was a devout Christian, but he had experimented with witchcraft every now and then. He kept it secret from his family, especially his brother.

"Don't worry; I need your wallet any way so I don't mind taking the heat." She had failed to tell Kyle what she needed her supplies for but he understood one of the most important rules…silence. "When does it start to snow? I need to buy a crap load of winter clothes so I don't freeze to death."

"Lina it doesn't snow that much here. I don't know what Hollywood told you about London, but it is mostly a wet winter." He finished the hot pocket, washing his hands and running his fingers through his short hair.

"Okay, but it's still way to cold for me." She finished her cereal and the two headed out the door towards the stores, Lina walking a few steps in front as Kyle gave her directions. The Hellsing van following them.

On the other side of the city Alucard was busy stalking his next target. He reached into his pocket and caressed the handle of Jackal, silently assuring the weapon that it would be used soon enough. With his sunglasses in place he watched the low level vampire as it stalked its next prey item, a family with three children. A single person would be enough to slack thirst, the vampire wanted to slaughter. He would get rid of the pest before it became a problem. Punk vampires, they just never got the point. Feed smarter. Silently gliding through the bustling street traffic Alucard easily kept his sights on the vampire. Alucard had purposely turned his phone off, not wanting to be distracted till he had sorted himself out. He needed this kill so badly.

 

End Chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations from Vlad speech earlier in the chapter. All translations are based off internet translators, are probably not absolutely correct.
> 
> 1\. Good morning my little witch. Did you have pleasant dreams? I was thinking about what you did to me last night. You actually attacked me. You were beautiful to watch. Your eyes shining with deadly intent as you slammed my head against the floor.
> 
> 2\. Yet for all that rage inside of you, I still could kill you so easily. Even now I only need to squeeze and your life would slip away as I watch.
> 
> 3\. Look what I did to you. A perfect imprint of my brutality on your flesh. It excites me and repulses me at the same time to see it. Don't lie to me. You enjoyed the feel of being dominated, the feel of your life being controlled by me. I know what kind of girl you are.
> 
> 4\. You need to be controlled. You need to be dominated. You need me to rule you.
> 
> 5\. Do you want to call me your king? Or maybe you want to call me master?
> 
> 6\. You can call me your lover.


	18. Peace

"What the fuck man? Get out of my way unless you want to become my next meal." The vampire was staring up at the man in red, unable to see the face because a large fedora and sunglasses were in his way. He had broken into the house silently and was walking up the stairs to the bedrooms of his soon to be meals when this nut job had blocked the top of the staircase. The vampire growled, baring his fangs and flexing his fingers. The 9mm in his back pocket would blow this douche-bag away. "You deaf or something? I said move it." He pulled the 9 mm out and let out a few shots, not worried about the family escaping. He would catch up to them. The man in red just stood there and took the bullets, the body shifting as the bullets made contact. The vampire emptied his clip and waited for the man in red to fall down dead. Blood dripped onto the stairs but the man in red was still standing there. The vampire reloaded his gun; the man in red must be wearing Kevlar. "Alright you wanker, I'll just have to blow that empty head of yours off." The vampire jumped to the step and put his gun against the man in red's forehead, unloading the second clip into the strangers head. Blood, skull fragments, and brain matter were splattered all over the walls and the man in red's body fell to the floor with a loud thud, like a tree being cut down as the fedora floated to rest further down the hallway. "Dumb ass." The vampire walked over the corpse and headed towards the door that was covered in pony stickers, the little girls' room. "Don't want any vampires…just slaves. Hehehe…" As the vampire's hand moved to grip the handle a malevolent laughter reverberated from every inch of the hallway. The hairs on the back of the vampire's neck stood up and he turned to look back at the body…which was not there! The walls were completely clean, and if he had not been absolutely sure he had emptied two clips he would doubt the strange altercation had ever transpired. He backed away from the door as it started to bleed red and the handle turned into a white gloved hand that gripped his wrist. "Holy Shit!" A shark like mouth full of sharp fangs appeared followed by glowing red eyes. The vampire shrieked as a crunching sound rang out. His wrist was nothing but bone fragments now. The vampire grabbed his gun with his other hand and fired a shot directly into the mouth of the shadow mass that was covering where the door had been. His eyes widened as the bullet was caught between the things' teeth. It was spit back at him with enough velocity that it took out his eye.

"That puny gun of yours isn't going do shit against a real vampire you worthless punk." The vampire was suddenly tossed over the stairs to the first floor, his body bouncing off the hardwood floors. The vampire was trying to scramble to his feet and get out the door. The man in red jumped off the second floor and landed directly on his back. The vampire squealed as a few of his vertebra snapped, clawing at the floor with his one good hand to get away from the man in red. "What a nasty pest you are. Come on now, fight back! Run out of bullets did you?" The vampire felt the hand grip his leg and let out an ear piercing shriek as his leg was ripped off from the knee down, blood spraying out of the wound. "Heal yourself and get up you scum bag."

"You're a freak! Get off of me!" The man in red smacked the vampire on the back of his head with his own leg, stepping off and watching as the vampire tried to crawl away, blood smearing out behind him. The vampire could hear the riding boots as the man in red came closer, reaching up desperately for the handle of the door. The door opened for the vampire who started to crawl faster, dragging himself out into the lawn. Those boots went silent and he started to laugh hysterically as he gripped the handle of the car door. He was almost home free! The white gloved hand wrapped around his other wrist and the vampire was tossed onto his back. "Let me go man…just let me go…I'm sorry…I'm so fucking sorry man…just please let me go." The man in red put his boot on the vampire's chest and ribs cracked, the mangled vampire coughing up blood. The vampire was suddenly staring up at orange sunglasses and the barrel of a very large hand gun. He still couldn't see the man in red's face, just those terrible teeth, and those glowing red eyes behind the glasses.

"It's a pure waste of a silver bullet to kill you. But Jackal here needs to get off…so open up wide you worthless wannabe. Tell the devil I want a lake side view." The vampire's eyes widened as the gloved finger pulled the trigger. Searing pain and the evil face were the last things the vampire would ever know as his body turned to dust, the blood trail following suit. Vlad let out a soundless moan as the two bit trash disappeared, his entire body tingling with pleasure. "Did you see that God? I was here to protect these mortals. Where was your divine hand to shield them?" Straightening up Vlad fixed his suit and hat, tossing the vampire's gun into the car, shattering the window. Snapping his fingers Vlad woke the family in the house from the trance he had placed them under. He silently walked away from the home and pulled out a blood pack, sipping on it as he walked through the streets and stared up at the waning moon. Tonight was a wonderful night.

\-----------------------------

Vance Home…10 p.m.

"Finished! Thank god! I thought I would never get this stupid paper done." Hitting the save button Lina closed her document and clicked to enlarge the internet page she had open, attaching her paper in an email to herself and hitting the send button. With a sigh of relief she closed her laptop and pulled her hair out of the bun she had it in. Shaking her head so her hair would come loose from the tight curl, Lina let a contented smile cross her lips, working her fingers through the strand of her hair to massage her scalp. "A nice hot bath will do wonders for me." She got up from her desk and went into the bathroom, turning the water on to the temperature she liked before plugging it. "I'm in the mood to spoil myself tonight." Opening up the cabinet under the sink she pulled out her bath salts and bubbles, pouring them into the hot water. Stripping down Lina turned on instrumental music to help her unwind. As she slipped into the hot water she moaned, her muscles relaxing as she submerged herself. Her wrists and neck were in pain for how tender they were, the hot water helping with the pain. It was hard for her to wear the scarf and wrists bands all day, but she did not want people to think she was being abused. Vlad had done it because he thought she was stealing, he had never hurt her before and he was considerate-ish of her now. Sean had not been anywhere near as gentle with her after he beat her. He would hit her again if she showed she was in pain. Resting her head on a bath pillow she cleared her mind of everything, her past lives all resting up. She had been fasting today, drinking only tea. Lina had sent Vlad a text about him needing to fast for at least a day. She hopped he got the text. Knowing him he probably was gorging himself. Oh well…at least she would be ready for tomorrow. Closing her eyes Lina just let the music fill her mind, seeing colors swirl as she closed her eyes. A haze like sleep drifted over her as she sat in the water, feeling it slowly soak through her skin. This would be a perfect time to meditate. She had been studying Buddhism for a year back when she started high school, having kept the practice of meditation since it was so useful for her craft.

"Om….." she could see the colors slowing into different bands instead of the meld of colors they had been before. "Om…" The colors came to a halt and began to fade. "Om…" She held the sound longer this time, the colors faded even further till they no longer existed. "Om…" It was peaceful, the music barely audible as she slipped deeper and deeper into the inner self. She could find more energy here. "Om…" She was closed off to the world. She pictured a waterfall and in that waterfall was her chakras lined up in reverse order. Envisioning that each chakra was being cleaned, healed, repaired, and balanced; bringing a peace over her, a contented calmness. With her chakras in order Lina moved on to examine her metaphysical body, sighing as she saw the various injuries to her metaphysical form. She may as well heal herself completely and just borrow more energy from Vlad tomorrow. Her physical body would tingle in the same places she healed her spiritual form. Lina focused on her neck and wrists. As she slowly came back from her deep meditation she became aware that the water was practically freezing and she was pruned. Her music had stopped playing and because the water was cold her muscles were sore and she couldn't move quickly. "Note to self…meditate before or after bath, not during." She unplugged the drain and turned the hot water back on, rinsing her hair quickly and trying to warm herself up again. Stepping out of the tub she wrapped herself in a towel and brushed her teeth. Putting on her pj's Lina started to brush her damp hair. As Lina ran a brush through her hair she looked at herself in the mirror. It was rare moments when she could look at herself in the mirror and actually think she was attractive.

"I was getting worried about you. You were in there for at least an hour." Lina gasped as Vlad's voice came from behind her. She could not see his reflection in the mirror, but she felt her heartbeat quickened as his deep voice washed over her. Vlad's energy felt calm, nowhere near as chaotic as it had this morning. His fingers gently acquired the brush from hers, taking the task over for her as his other hand checked over her bruises. They were large, deep purple contusions, almost violet in color. Vlad had decided that she would always be a child compared to him, so it was more a matter of her wanting to be with him. He had time to spare.

"What time is it?" Lina blushed as he finished her hair, even putting it in a bun. This was so different from the Vlad she knew. She kind of liked it but only as long as this was not the only part of him she would ever see.

"It's half past midnight." She went into her bedroom and closed the balcony windows. "You look like a prune." She rolled her eyes at him. That sounded much more like the Vlad she knew.

"Yeah…I know. Did you get my text?" He pulled his cell phone out and turned it on, checking the text she was talking about.

"Yes I did, did not follow it." That figured. Turning her night light on Lina flicked the power off to the other lights in her room as she crawled under the covers, curling up with her pillow. Vlads' clothes seemed to melt off his body as he just flopped onto her bed. Did his clothes even really exist? That was a question she did not want an answer to.

"Did I say you could spend the night? Cause I don't remember doing that." He pulled her closer to him and pulled a book from her shelf, squeezing her closer as she tried to squirm away. If she had not been so busy trying to escape his hold she would have been interested in his powers.

"You do not have a say in the matter. Even if you kick me out I would just be back in a few minutes. Now shut up and go to sleep Lina." Before she could protest he spoke. "I know I'm a jerk. I also know that you like it. I'll see you in the morning." With a resigned sigh Lina tried to adjust so she was at least comfortable. She stuck her tongue out at him and closed her eyes.

"See you in the morning Vlad, and please…don't eat any more blood." She was drifting to sleep easily. He had picked up the Poe book again, intending to finish it. Turning to the page he had been on, Vlad silently began to read. A few hours later he closed the book with satisfaction, looking at the clock. It was four in the morning, another few hours before sun up. Checking on Lina Vlad found her deep asleep. She had curled away from him and wrapped herself tightly in the bed sheets, burying herself as the room grew colder. Getting up he stretched out and looked over her books, not finding anything to catch his interest. A creaking sound came from behind him and he looked to the closet. That's where she was hiding her witch books. Grinning he moved over to the door and opened it. He easily scanned the top shelf. Nothing was up here except her suitcases and boxes, he wasn't surprised. If she hid anything up here she'd never be able to get it without help. She would hide important things on the floor. On his knees Vlad looked around, her shoes were on the floor, and in the back was a large pile of…books. How typical. He reached over and flipped through the books, looking for something that caught his interest. It all looked like beginner level books. Where was that one with the lock? Standing up once more he looked around…he had heard the sound of things falling. Looking around he caught sight of the small stepping stool. He shifted some of the suitcases and found that a few of them were hiding items. Opening one of the cases up Vlad glared at the contents. A small photo album was titled 'waste'. There were pictures of Lina and Sean together. Most of the pictures were of the two making funny faces at the camera or of places they went together. Turning them over he noticed the little phrases Lina had written on the back of them. Most said friends, and the few that said couple the divide between them was extremely obvious. Sean was hanging all over Lina as she faked a smile for the camera. There were only a few pictures where Lina and Sean looked happy as a couple. Lina started to whimper and move on the bed. Fixing everything so it looked like how he had found it Vlad wandered back to the bed. He picked a random book that was shoved in backwards on her bookshelf. Settling back onto her bed Vlad looked down at the cover and he nearly burst out laughing. It was a historical romance novel. He was definitely going to give Lina a hard time for this tomorrow. With mild curiosity he opened the book and started to read, having to stifle his snickering as he read the book. The sun rose and he was dozing off to sleep with the book on his lap. Closing his eyes Vlad fell asleep as the electronic clock flashed seven in the morning.

\----------------------------------------

Sultan's Palace…1443 

Vlad was sweating under the intense sunlight and from the strain of his training. He had been beaten once again, the cut on his left arm stinging. He would not stop till he collapsed. His stomach protested since he had gone all day without food. His throat was parched; he had gone the day without water either. Vlad had been left to his own devices as the Turkish guard that had been training him walked away. Blood was dripping down his arm, making it harder for him to keep his grip on the hilt of the curved sword. He much preferred the straight swords. As the sun moved through the sky Vlad grew more exhausted. He stopped to catch his breath, sweating and wincing as his arm stung. A moment to clean his wound would be best; his hand was slippery with blood. Looking around Vlad was surprised to see that the Persian girl was sitting under a tree not too far from him. She was wearing a very bright and colorful outfit, a small breeze carrying over the smell of food. The girl was completely ignoring him, reading a book as she was writing something else. Her personal guard was not anywhere to be seen. Moving closer to the girl he wondered why she was out here alone. She was three years his junior. He was at the awkward age of thirteen, stuck between being a man and a boy. He was standing a few feet away from her now, looking over her shoulder at what she was doing. She was practicing her translations.

"Still have not learned yet girl? Six years worth of tutoring and you are still translating that low level book. How hopeless you are. I speak in four languages and you struggle with two." She looked up at him and gasped as she saw the bleeding wound on his arm.

"Your arm! It is bleeding! Should I go fetch a doctor?" He snorted and leaned against the tree, letting himself relax for a minute. The sword handle gripped in his right hand.

"I insult a girl and all she notices is blood, they have you trained very well." He sneered at her. The girl rolled her eyes at him and returned to her work. Vlad noticed something was not right with her appearance. Looking over her he noticed that part of her hair looked much shorter than the rest. "What happened to your hair?" She did not look up at him; instead her hand reached back and felt the part of her hair he was talking about.

"Nothing that concerns you Prince Vlad." She adjusted her hair so she could hide the shorter part. "And I only asked about your arm because I care, not because I'm trained." The word trained passed her lips as if she was speaking of an unpleasant event.

"Why would you care about me? I'm the enemy." Looking up from her translations she had an expression of confusion.

"I thought we were friends. You are very different from last year Prince Vlad." Thrusting his sword into the dirt at his feet Vlad folded his arms, ignoring the cut. She flinched away as he thrust the sword into the ground.

"Well you thought wrong. I was only your friend because I was a boy last year. I'm a man this year so I cannot be your friend." He turned his nose up and squared his shoulders. She giggled.

"My guard is a man yet he is my friend. Why are you any different?" She pulled out her lunch and wrapped the meat in a slice of bread, nibbling off of it while he watched. His stomach grumbled but he covered it with a laugh.

"Your family pays him to be your friend. That is what is different." She seemed to be thinking that over for a moment, her fingers moving to one of the many rings on her fingers to take one off. Holding up the small ruby ring towards him she smiled.

"Then I will pay you with this ring so you will be my friend this year." Vlad glared at her and leaned further away.

"You cannot buy my friendship with such a pathetic trinket." She replaced the ring and shrugged, turning back to her lunch. It smelt very good.

"Then I shall just not be your friend this year. I hope you do not get yourself into trouble. With no friends here who will help you when you are put in the dungeons." He looked at her in shock, she was threatening him. "Why should I risk getting in trouble for someone that is not my friend? Even if you are starving I will not help."

"So you are threatening me for my friendship." She smiled and nodded yes, taking a bite of her food. "That is not very nice of you."

"You said you are my enemy, so I should not be nice to you. If you are my friend I would have to be nice to you." Vlad sat near her and she smiled, handing him some food and water. "Friends?"

"Only for this year." He took the food and water. She handed him some cloth and he used it as a bandage for his cut. His blood was on his hands, transferring to the bread. The Persian girl looked away as he ate the bread any way.

"For this year is fine." She silently sat there with him, letting him eat her food and drink her water. "Is sword fighting hard?" He looked up at her and pushed his hair out of his eyes, smearing blood on his face.

"Of course it is hard. If you make a mistake you can be killed." She silently mouthed 'oh' as she smoothed her hands out over her dress. The breeze came by again and blew her hair, the short strands becoming visible once more. "What happened to your hair?"

"My cousins are what happened. They cornered me alone and started to cut my hair." Her hands nervously went and rubbed the strands, trying to make them grow. Vlad snorted at her and lay out on the grass.

"You should have fought back, it is your own fault your hair is cut." She took her water back from him and returned to translating.

"How am I supposed to fight back? They are boys and are taught how to fight. No one will teach me because I am supposed to be feminine. If you had never been taught how to fight you would be as helpless as I am. So if it is my fault that my hair is cut it is only because it is everyone else's fault for leaving me weak." Vlad looked up at her and then at the ground around them. There were two long sticks on the ground.

"I can teach you how to fight with swords. But if I do you have to not cry when you get hurt. I cannot stand crying." He sat up once more. She seemed to be thinking it over.

"What do I have to do in return if you teach me how to fight?" He grabbed more of the food and took a bite.

"I get the rest of your food, and you have to never whine about being helpless ever again." She smiled and pushed the rest of her lunch towards him and held out her hand for him to shake.

"I agree. When do you start teaching me?" He gripped her hand in his and squeezed meanly as they shook on it. She pulled her hand out and grimaced at his blood on her hand. He finished eating the food before he got up and handed her one of the sticks.

"We start now." He smacked her hand with the stick, making her yelp. "First rule: never assume that your opponents are going to wait for you to be ready." She rubbed the part of her hand he had smacked but nodded. "Second rule: never show pain to opponents." She nodded again and mimicked his position, holding the stick out in front of her and watching his hands so he could not surprise her again. He slowly moved to slap her hand again and she blocked him, she smiled and he quickly swatted her on the arm. "Third rule: Never take your mind off the fight until your opponents are dead or you will be killed." He moved to tap her hand again and she blocked it, keeping herself focused on his movements she moved to stop him as he moved to slap her on the head. Vlad grabbed her hand to stop her block and tapped her on the head. "Fourth rule: cheat." She glared at him and tied to get her hand free. "Do you think you can handle this Princess?" He released her hand and was sneering at her. She quickly slapped his hurt arm.

"If you are a good teacher I think so." She smiled at him till he looked at his arm. "I'm sorry…that was low of me." He looked up at her and slapped her on the arm.

"Stupid girl, why are you apologizing? You followed the rules. Just do not expect to ever hit me again; I am going easy on you." She nodded and got ready for him to attack her with the stick. He was bored, easily beating her each round in a few moves. He shouldn't be wasting time teaching her. There was the sound of snapping as she blocked his strike to her face, their sticks breaking. She started to giggle and sat down to pick up her book again. "Who said you could relax Princess?"

"I did. How are we going to practice without the sticks? I definitely will not use a real sword with you." He pulled his sword out of the dirt.

"I wasted too much time with you anyway girl. I have to go practice so I can beat a real opponent. Not some girl scared to get her dress dirty." She just nodded at him and wiped his blood off of her hand onto the grass. She looked at the sky and started to pack her belongings up. Her personal guard was walking towards the two of them. She came over to Vlad and kissed him on the cheek so quickly he almost doubted it had happened.

"Princess Setareh, your parents want you, time for prayer." She sighed, pulling a scarf over her hair to cover it up.

"Thank you for the lesson Prince Vlad. I have to go now. Bye." She started to walk towards the guard and waved back at him. He rolled his eyes and walked back to where he had been much earlier in the day. He rubbed his cheek to get the kiss off and sliced the top off of a plant as he passed.

\---------------------------------

October 18…Vance Home…9 a.m.

Lina slowly woke up, her eyes feeling sore. All last night she must have been dreaming, too bad she could not remember what they were about. Looking over at Vlad she noticed a book on his lap. Leaning over his sleeping form she saw that he was reading one of her romance novels. She did not know whether she should be furious or if she should burst out laughing. Why the hell was the king of vampires reading her medieval romance novel? Looking up at his face she blushed. He was really handsome, but when he was awake there was always that sinister look about him. In his sleep he was peaceful, his lips curved up minutely at the corners. If Lina had never met him before she would think his dreams were about peaceful things, but she knew that his dreams must consist of war, blood, and other forms of violence. She felt her heart clench at that. Was Vlad capable of any emotion that was not inspired by hatred? A hopeless sigh crossed her lips when the answer of 'no' swam through her mind. Pulling back the sheets Lina rose out of bed. It did not matter. It was not like Lina loved Vlad so why should she be saddened that he was a war monger?

Because she wanted to be in love with him, that's why it mattered. After all the horrible things her past lives had experienced because of him, all the pain and suffering, they still loved him. What about Lina? What did she really feel? She shook her head to clear those thoughts. She needed to keep herself in a state of harmony. If she started to chip at the foundation now she would have problems later. She would deal with her own needs after she fixed this problem with Samantha. Lina was so humiliated that such a weak monster was so difficult for her to beat. Maybe if she had been better in her past lives she would be allowed to have more magical abilities this go around. Nothing she could do about it now except be a good person and work harder to get stronger. Entering her closet she pulled on her exercise clothes. Picking up a pair of shoes and socks she left the room as silently as she could. Walking down the hallway she felt her legs and arms start to twitch. Today was a day for a bit more aggressive workout. Something to get her pumped and ready for the spiritual fight she was in for tonight. She nearly tripped down the stairs, cursing loudly and glaring at the steps as if it would prevent further blunders. A gurgling sound came to her attention. Gazing down at her stomach she sighed. Tea certainly would not count against her fasting. She was wearing the same outfit as the first day she had met Vlad. The whistling from the kettle made her sigh; pouring herself a cup she popped a few Advil to help with the pain in her neck. The bruising were angry mauve bands on her neck and wrists. She hoped today would go by quickly; she was weak when it came to resisting the urge to eat. Maybe if she took a cat nap in the middle of the day she would be able to stop herself from breaking down and stuffing her face. There were more important things than her stomach.

Music! If she listened to music while she did her work out she would work out harder. Then she would be so sleepy she would pass out instead of thinking about food. Where was that iPod dock stereo? It was next to her laptop. Great, Lina needed to sneak into her own bedroom. She downed her tea like alcoholics down liquor. Dashing up the stairs to her room Lina silently opened the door. No matter what she did Vlad would hear her, his supernatural senses would insure of that. Best plan of action, get in, and get out as quickly as possible. Bouncing on the balls of her still bare feet she unplugged the power cord before slipping the dock under her arm, exiting the room, and closing the door. Pressing her ear to the door she waited for any sounds that would signal she had bothered him. Silence, good. She did not want to meet him on a grumpy note today. He needed to keep that calm he had last night if she planned on getting anything done effectively. After she borrowed energy he could leave the house and go bat shit evil on London. Well, Director Wingates might take issue with that. Not Lina's problem.

Down stairs in the backyard Lina plugged the iPod deck in and placed it on an open window sill. Setting it on random she smirked as the first song was one of her Marilyn Manson songs. She stretched first, moaning at the sound of her vertebrae cracking and the pleasurable relief that brought. She winced as rolling her neck caused new sensations of pain, deciding that her neck was fine for now. While stretching her legs Lina pushed herself, wanting to get her legs spread further apart so she would be that much closer to being able to do a split. Standing back up she started to bounce on the balls of her feet, bringing fisted hands up to protect her face from the imaginary opponent standing in front of her. She started to dance around the opponent, jabbing and swinging kicks. She missed Tae Kwon Do. Maybe she should start it up again, actually get her black belt since this time she wouldn't have to leave if she didn't want to. Delivering a roundhouse kick to her imagined opponents' head Lina barely smirked, bouncing around and punching at a new opponent. A whistling sound came to Lina's attention and she stopped, turning to see Captain Bernadette watching her spar. She felt a wave of guilt as she saw that he had a bruise around his neck very similar to hers'.

"What happened to you?" Lina asked, hoping that it was not related to her using him to get to the dungeons. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, sucking in before puffing out a smoke ring.

"Your boy fiend strangled me when I told them you had gotten trapped in that secret cellar." He took another drag from the cigarette as he looked her over, noticing her own bruise. "I see that you were given a lesson as well." He pinned her with his one good eye. "Do you have anything to say to me?" Lina felt a mix of guilt for nearly getting him killed and annoyance.

"Sorry, but it was your own damn fault, wasn't it? You fell hook, line, and sinker for my trick. If you had stopped and thought you would have realized I was using you. You are fighting vampires man. You have got to up your game." She said and crossed her arms, waiting for Captain Bernadette to leave the yard. Lina could barely handle being watched as it was; she would not give up her illusion of privacy. When he still stood there and pinched his cigarette out Lina started to tap her foot in agitation. "Can you please leave? I'm trying to exercise and I can't do it with you watching me this close."

"I'm going." Lina watched him leave and felt even more energy to fight. Only wishing that she could actually have something to hit, maybe she should invest in a punching bag.

\----------------------

Vance Home…5 p.m.

Vlad awoke from his sleep, feeling Lina curled up against him. She should have woken up by now. Looking down he noticed she had taken a shower, her wet hair up in a bun. He also noticed that a sticky note was on his chest. With elegant fingers he peeled it off and read the note. 'Don't eat.' Did she think he was that dumb, or was that her thinking he was unable to control himself without reminders? Crumbling the note Vlad tossed it into the trash bin. Easily slipping out of her bed he dressed in his pants and shirt, leaving the rest of his clothes strewn about the floor. A sudden feeling of dissatisfaction crossed him at the sight. He could remember when he had risen from the beds of women in the past with his clothes everywhere, only he had been sexually fulfilled. Dating a virgin was much harder than he had expected, especially when they would start kissing and he could tell she wanted him. He should just turn her and get this whole thing over with. He wondered mildly if she would resist drinking blood like Seras. Lina had spoken distastefully of Seras's current habits, but humans were notorious for hypocrisy. Perhaps waiting was best. Failures, including those of his underlings were constant thorns in his sides. He did not need to turn his current sex free fling into a whiny undead that would be clinging to him for the rest of his undead life. A shudder ran through him at the thought. He definitely would hold off turning Lina. Sex was not worth an eternity of annoyance.

Lina seemed to stir as he made to exit her room. She stretched out on the bed, rolling around in the sheets as purely feline mewls left her throat. He watched her back arch, her fingers tangling in her sheets and a saucy smile on her lips. She stretched from her fingers down her spine and to her toes. The hem of her long shirt slowly rode higher and higher on her thighs, giving him a peak of plain white panties. Vlad felt a vein in his forehead pulsate with irritation. He had just made his decision and there she was, innocently teasing him. With a grace he didn't know Lina possessed she slipped off the bed and sashayed to her dresser, opening drawers then examining different outfits, completely ignoring him. A humming sound slowly built into vocalization of a melody that was simple and arbitrarily sung at higher and lower volumes, a range that impressed him. He mildly wondered if maybe she had taken a few lessons when she was young, her voice so much more…refined than the other time she had sung. The melody leisurely turned into a familiar one, the Habanera from Carmen. Vlad watched her as she picked a billowing layered red skirt and then a tight corset styled top. She gracefully danced into the bathroom and shut the door. Shrugging his shoulders he walked downstairs and flopped onto the armchair, debating the merits of watching TV or sitting there in the dark living room staring off into nothingness. Both were so tempting. He could hear muted footsteps approaching him from the staircase along with the swish of skirts. With a small effort on his part the lights turned on. Lina was in the red outfit, her hair a mass of shinning curls and a large red flower shaped hairpiece. She wore gold bangles, glittering gold chains around her neck, ruby earring studs in gold, gold eye shadow and scarlet lipstick. All that red reminded him that beneath her skin lay a sweet liquid that just begged to be taken. He slowly sat up to watch this newest performance she was putting on. Suddenly Lina began to belt out her heart as she sang the aria, putting passion into the words as if she were singing before a stage audience. She barely even looked in Vlad's direction. He had no idea Lina could even speak French, let alone sing the famous aria. Watching her closely Vlad noticed a detail about her appearance that had escaped his notice before. Her eyes were a rich warm green. This was one of her past lives. Vlad would have to inquire as soon as the performance was finished.

A knock at the door came just as the aria was reaching the crescendo, breaking the moment. Vlad growled. He had been enjoying the song and the passion the other life was pouring into the words. Lina's eyes quickly returned to the hazel, looking around and seeing him sitting there watching her, she gasped in mortification and dashed back up the stairs. Apparently she had not intended to be watched. The knock came again and Vlad stood up to answer the door. Samantha and her parents stood there looking at Vlad. He wiped the displeasure from his face, plastering on a fake cheer.

"How unexpected to see you here. Will you be staying the night?" Charles said, Janette tightening her grip on Samantha's hand. The child was smiling up at Vlad, looking behind him to see if Matt was in the hallway.

"I am not staying, I have business to attend to in a few hours. I am afraid my residence has been worse for wear since the storm. I am waiting for the work to be finished." He said smoothly. Charles nodded and led his family into the house, Vlad closing the door behind them. Samantha darted away from her mother, dashing up the stairs in excitement.

"Matt! Matt! I bought my Halloween costume! I want you to see! It's so pretty!" Samantha's parents smiled at their daughter rushing up the stairs towards their nephew. There was a squeal before Matt came downstairs with Samantha squirming as he tickled her. "Mommy Matt's tickling me! Make him stop!" They other boys slowly made their way down the stairs and said hello.

Vlad stood back and watched as they all exchanged pleasantries, feeling so out of place in the sea of human warmth and connection. Even the corner he resided in was darker than the main space they all converged in. Lina returned from her room, wearing a simple pair of black pants with a dark purple turtleneck, carefully covering her bruises. Whenever Vlad thought of Lina it was always in shades of purple. She interacted with all the warmth and light, leaning down to hug Samantha before she came to stand next to him, watching the others move toward the kitchen for refreshments. Why would she leave all that to come stand next to him? Lina's smaller hand tugged at his sleeve, jerking her head towards the kitchen and following the rest of the party, speaking every so often to answer a question posed to her. She had put her hair into a bun once more. Vlad itched to take it down. He hated when she put her hair up. If it wasn't for the long side bangs that framed her face Lina would look slightly masculine. Lina kindly denied the food offered to her, claiming she had already eaten.

"We are going to be leaving now. If we don't hurry we'll be late. I hope you have a good evening Samantha. See you tomorrow morning. Christina, you have all the emergency numbers. I'll leaves some pounds just in case. Give mommy a hug." Janette leaned down to hug Samantha, kissing the child on the cheek, leaving a lipstick stain.

"What about poor old father?" Samantha hugged her father, giggling as he picked her up and kissed her other cheek. "Be a good girl." Samantha smiled and nodded.

"Yes Daddy. I'll be good." Charles, Janette, and Matt all walked out of the house. Matt parted from his aunt and uncle to drive his own black sport car. Seth, Steve, and Kyle all left shortly after them, after all the club wouldn't run itself. Lina clicked the lock on the front door with a smile. "Do you want to see my costume?" Lina smiled and nodded, Samantha dashing away with her overnight bag so she could put her costume on.

"Which one of you is the opera singer?" Vlad asked, pinning Lina with a stare. She flushed a bright pink, glaring at him as if it was his fault she had been singing in front of him.

"Which one of you likes to read my romance novels?" An evil smirk crossed his lips at her retort.

"Answer my question and I'll consider answering yours." She leaned against the wall, mirroring his position. It was intimidating when he did it; he thought it was cute when she tried. "It wasn't Sandra, she may have a nice voice, but it wasn't professionally trained. So, who was it? I would love to listen to her some more." Lina looked away from him, straightening her stance as she crossed her arms protectively over her body.

"It's none of your business who she is. Why did you go snooping through my stuff? I know you went into my closet." Vlad shrugged as if invading her personal space was nothing. They stayed there, staring at each other, waiting for one of them to crack. A grumbling sound came from Lina's stomach, making her break their staring contest. She lost. Lina nearly yelped as Vlad pinned her against the wall, giving her a perverse sneer. "I call her Iriene. She was an opera singer from Russia. Okay. Now answer my questions." Vlad slowly pushed himself away from her.

"I was bored."

"So you go snooping through my stuff and read my romance novels because you are bored?" He nodded yes. A smirk crossed her lips. "Do you want to borrow them? Cause I finished with them a while ago." Vlad's own smile faltered and he turned to look up at Samantha clamoring down the stairs. Lina glanced at Samantha and he could see her plastering on a fake smile.

"I'm going to be a witch for Halloween! I'll look so much scarier when I put the wart on my nose and the green make-up. I have a broom and everything. Do you like my hat?"

"It's very nice Samantha. I'm sure you'll scare away any monsters that are prowling around on Halloween with such a scary costume. Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" Samantha thought about it for a moment.

"I'm a good witch." Lina's smile turned to a genuine one and she straightened Samantha's hat and tucked strands of hair behind the girl's ears.

"Can you keep a secret?" The very prospect of being entrusted with a secret filled Samantha with excitement, the child's eyes widening. Samantha nodded emphatically. "You have to promise to never tell another person. I could get into a lot of trouble."

"I promise! Please, tell me Lina! I will never tell another person. Cross my heart." The child moved her hand in a crossing motion over her heart as if that enhanced the value of her vow. Lina leaned in closer, cupping her hands around Samantha's ear. Vlad could hear Lina whispering and he saw how Samantha's face seemed to brighten with childish delight. Samantha's smile widened, bouncing on her feet. "Really? Are you really a witch?" Lina nodded deliberately. "Wow! Can you do magic!"

"Yes, Lina, can you do magic?" Vlad asked tauntingly behind her. She shot him a glare over her shoulder, returning her attention to the excited child.

"Well, I can do magic, but it's not like it is in the movies. It's much more…understated." Confusion crossed Samantha's face. "Okay, the magic I do is very…well; it's not as interesting as they make it look in Disney movies. I don't wave a magic wand and suddenly the broom will start sweeping the floor, I can't fly a broomstick, I don't change shapes, and I can't make people do anything they don't want to do." Samantha made an 'oh' and nodded.

"Can other witches do that kind of stuff?" Samantha sounded a bit disappointed that the image she always had of magic was suddenly being popped.

"Well, I have never seen another witch do that kind of magic before. Not to say that it's not possible that a very strong witch isn't doing that kind of stuff, it's just I have never seen it." Lina smiled helpfully, not wanting Samantha to be disenchanted with magic. She could get that when she was older, the kid had already been disenchanted as it was, and Lina had no desire to make it worse. Lina could tell that it wasn't enough to comfort the child. "I'm still a beginner when it comes to magic, that stuff is for advanced witches. I stick to simple spells and charms. With practice I'm sure I can move on to more advanced things." Samantha slowly smiled again, believing Lina.

"Can I be a witch too?" Vlad could see the hamster wheel in Lina's head freaking out at the question, chuckling low in his throat.

"I think you should stay what you are right now. If, when you are much older, you decide you want to be one you can then that's completely your choice. I was wondering though, do you want to get rid of the Spooky Man?" Samantha looked around her as if expecting the Spooky Man to be standing there ready to attack her since he was mentioned. "Samantha, you would have to be strong to get rid of him, and I would be there to help you the whole time." Lina put herself at eye level with the child and smiled comfortingly, taking the child's hands in hers and gently squeezing. The child nodded weakly, obviously not convinced that it was a good idea, but trusted Lina. "Go change into your normal clothes and I'll make some hot chocolate for you. Does that sound nice?"

"Okay." Lina released Samantha and let the child go upstairs to change. Vlad was still standing there watching Lina, eyes narrowing slightly, his arms crossed over his chest and the space around him was growing dimmer. Sun had set and he felt a familiar pang of hunger.

"Why did you ask if you could get rid of the pest?" Lina stood up, her hands going to her hips and she straightened to her unimpressive height.

"It's against the rules to use magic on someone without permission. Every time I ever used a spell on or for someone without asking permission it backfired on me. So I ask. If they say no I forget it and let the universe do what it wants. If they say yes I try my best to help. If I was a bit more experienced or stronger I could bypass the permission rule." Vlad ran over what she said in his mind, his red eyes gazing at her in a mix of interest and lust.

"Does that mean you have used spells on people? Please my dear, explain yourself. Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" He spoke the last line mockingly, mimicking the way she had asked it to Samantha. Lina gave him a smirk and walked over to him, her hips swaying with a feminine grace that made him lick his lips. She curled her finger to urge him down toward her. Vlad leaned down, waited for her to respond. Lina's arms gently wrapped around his shoulders and she whispered against his ear.

"Whichever one suits my mood." Lina pulled away and smiled at him as she moved to the kitchen, warming up some water for her tea as well as preparing the hot chocolate for Samantha. "And before you ask, I do have a wand; it just doesn't do my chores. I wish it did."

It was an hour later with Samantha sitting on the couch with her hot chocolate, watching cartoons when Lina dragged Vlad into a separate room, leaving the door cracked open in case Samantha called out. Lina sat cross legged, Vlad rolling his eyes as he joined her on the floor. She smiled at him brightly, taking his hands into hers and moving closer to him, their knees brushing. Her hands reached up and tucked her bangs from her face. Vlad felt a tingle journey up his spine as she took his hand in both of hers once more. His energy had been stirring once more from the calm energy from last night to agitated and chaotic once more. If Lina wanted to borrow his energy she needed to do it now.

"Vlad, I need you to clear your mind completely. You must put aside your thoughts of violence, war, death, anger, and those kinds of things. Just clear your mind till there is nothing, just calm. And don't be an ass about it okay. The faster you do it the faster this is over with." He wanted to protest, but she had a point. Taking a deep pointless breath he exhaled slowly, closing his eyes, and trying to focus on emptying his mind. It was a lot harder than he thought, as soon as he stopped one thought another popped up to that one's place. Eventually he was able to keep his mind under control.

"What now Lina?" He huffed out like a pouting child waiting for the next step in a chore they had no desire to be involved in.

"Cup your hands securely together and think of an energy ball the size of a large marble forming between them. Once you can feel the energy there I need you to focus on making it stable. Then you will put the energy in my hands. After that you are free to think as you normally do." Vlad wanted to laugh but focused as she told him to, amazed when after ten minutes of focusing he could feel a prickling sensation in the palms of his hands. He wanted to open his hands to so he could peak, but Lina's hands gently rested over his. "It's not stable yet Vlad, if you open your hands the energy will escape. Your energy is not the type that should be allowed to just wander." Vlad had to squash down his annoyance. "Vlad…" Hearing the breathy way his name left her lips made him smirk. "…tell me when you are ready." Lina was speaking very softly to him, as if what they were doing was something special, something intimate.

"I hope you are prepared girl…I tried to make it small, but I think you'll find I'm a bit more than you can handle." Opening his eyes Vlad saw that Lina gave him a half lidded look, her lips curled up in a bashful smile. Her hands were carefully curled together, waiting for him to transfer the energy. He gently opened his hands and placed the sphere of energy into her outstretched ones. She gasped when his hands pulled away. "Why are you so surprised?" Looking down he saw the crimson orb of light hovering in her hands, glowing like his eyes.

"I've never seen the energy like this before. It's here. Not a mental image of a different plane of existence, but it is actually here in my hands. How much energy is this Vlad?" Awe filled her voice as she cradled the energy in her hands.

"Maybe one percent, if that impresses you I should take you on a hunt so you can see me in action. I can do things that you cannot imagine in your wildest nightmares." She gently sealed her hands over the ball of energy, closing her eyes in concentration as she purified it. He watched her with mild interest, wanting to see how she would respond. It was a while before she opened her hands slightly, showing him the reddish purple orb of light with a smile before closing her hands once more.

"I might take you up on that offer Vlad." The orb of light was gone, but Lina seemed to be positively glowing. Standing up Lina pull Vlad in for a heated kiss, her fingers laced through his hair, her nails gently scraping against his scalp. Growling darkly, Vlad gripped her waist as he urgently pressed her hips to his. His tongue thrust into her welcoming mouth. A light footstep in the hallway brought a snarl of frustration up from his chest, pulling away from Lina. "Why did you stop?" Lina whimpered in disappointment.

"Lina…Vlad…are you two still here?" Samantha was worried, thinking that her baby sitter and Vlad had left her alone. The two poked their heads out from a room, Lina grinning and Vlad standing there with his usual stoic expression.

"Sorry Samantha…Vlad and I were having a discussion. He is being called away for work and won't be back till well after midnight." Samantha studied the two of them and beamed.

"Lina and Vlad sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Lina with a baby carriage. And that's not, and that's not all. Next Vlad is teaching it how to play baseball!" Samantha ran back down the hall laughing.

"I didn't know kids here sing the kissing song."

\------------------------------------

October 19…1 am….Hellsing

Integra was getting ready for bed, her hair braided and her glasses in their case. The Round Table meeting had been less than agreeable. She was going to give Alucarda piece of her mind when she saw him next. Each of the knights had been on the attack, ridiculing her for her inability to find the blasted werewolves and end the case already. Those idiots had no idea how hard it was to try and track down the monsters! It is easy for them to sit there and complain. Did any of them offer to give her the intelligence to narrow the search for the werewolves' location? Why was she aggravating herself over this again? She was doing her best with what limited resources she had. No, that was a lie; she was doing everything except the one thing she knew would end it because of her pride. Integra refused to ask Alucard to hunt these creatures down. Her pride would not let her sink so low as to admit to that vampire that this was just at the edge of her capabilities. Washing her face with the hot water she stared at her hazy reflection. If Van Helsing could take down the king of vampires in his advanced age, why was she failing in her youth to find and exterminate those lycans? Maybe there was something she was overlooking? Maybe it is some simple fact that is swimming just out of sight? Van Helsing did have help. Maybe she would be best off seeking Walter's advice in the morning. No use tormenting herself with scathing remarks from pompous bureaucrats. Flicking the light switch off Integra made her way through her dark room to her comfortable bed. Her silver cross secured around her neck. Pulling the covers down on her bed aside she slipped in, sighing as the soft mattress eased her body.

The evening had not been a complete waste though. After the meeting she had gone outside to smoke. Watching from the corner balcony as the guests drove up Integra found herself wondering if Matt would drive that ragged van up here. She had been pleasantly surprised when he had come in a very presentable car. A small frown pulled on her lips as she remembered how she had snipped at him for the first hour, taking out her frustration on him. Matthew had calmly taken the behavior, simply wandering over to mingle with whoever was at his aunt and uncle's side before checking to see if she had calmed any. When Integra had calmed she had felt a pinch of guilt, but Matthew brushed it off as a duck did water. She supposed that he was used to people in the upper class treating him as such. Integra was surprised that when he asked her to dance, but it had been very agreeable. She had actually laughed during the evening, a completely new thing for her. All in all, Integra would not mind if he asked to escort her to more public functions. Closing her eyes Integra drifted off to sleep, needing her rest if she was going to wake up at nine.

Down in the dungeons Seras was busy cleaning her room. With her missions completed for the evening Seras found herself squaring off with her ex-master's worse nemesis. Boredom. In an attempt to keep herself busy she had decided that her room was much too filthy, and so she had procured cleaning supplies and was now scrubbing the stone walls. She had polished the floor to a mirror like shine, and she would work her way to properly washing the ceiling. Now she understood why he had always been so excited by a mission, there was simply nothing else to do. There were only so many rounds of ammunition one could waste on a target before the novelty wore off. Maybe she should go watch TV? Or get a computer. Anything that would help keep Seras occupied. She could almost understand why her master had been so fond of using his shadows to terrify her; it was at least something to do.

Her thoughts turned to her powers. She was so weak compared to her master. Her master could shape shift, command shadows, command that hell hound, survive getting stabbed through the heart and having his head taken clean off, there was his ability to call blood to himself, his hypnosis, and that strange ability he had to create the illusions. Seras had never seen him use that power again, but she had always wondered exactly what that had been. As far as Seras knew her powers were still on the most basic levels, super speed, strength, sight, the ability to use telepathy, and her own blood rages. She had tried to pass through walls a few times, either smacking into the wall or getting stuck halfway and needing to be rescued. Alucard made it all look so easy, so effortless. A knock came at the door of her room. Looking away from the brick she was washing Seras called out to who was behind the door.

"Who is it?"

"It'z me Miss Victoria. A minute of your time?" It was Pip. Seras contemplated the benefits of sending the pervert away, but the boredom outweighed her fear of being ogled right now.

"Come in Captain Bernadette." The French man entered her room, nearly slipping on the polished floor. "Be cautious, I've gone on a cleaning spree."

"I can see that." He was looking at her coffin, the large cross carved into the wood the only decoration. It was sitting on top of a three inch thick bed of dirt. "So, that's where you sleep. Is it cozy?"

"Did you have anything you wanted to speak to me about Captain?" He leaned against the wall near her, giving her a sleepy grin. His long hair was wrapped around his neck like a scarf.

"I know the troops get days off." She eyed him warily as he leaned against the portion of wall she had just scrubbed. "I was curious, do you?" She stopped mid scrub.

"You're asking if I have days off?" He gave her a shrug, his one good eye pinning her.

"I guess the indirect approach won't work with you." He moved closer to her and Seras almost flinched before remembering she was a vampire, more than capable of deterring him. "When are you free for a movie?"

"I don't get time off." Seras was lying. He pouted but suddenly seemed to brighten as a new idea struck him.

"Then how about we watch a movie together here?"

"I think you and I have very different taste in movies." Seras wondered mildly why she was turning him down, she was bored and he was offering her something to do.

"You can pick any movie you want. Does not matter to me." Pip replied easily. He would not give up so quickly.

"It will be one of those romantic comedies." Seras said almost warningly. He leaned closer to her.

"I think I can handle overly sugary sweet sentiments for two hours." The grin he gave Seras made her roll her eyes.

"I'm busy right now." She returned to scrubbing the stones.

"I'll see you after hours tomorrow then Miss Victoria." With that Pip carefully made his way to the door of her room and left.

\---------------------------

Vance Home….1:30 a.m.

Lina had sent Vlad away for a few hours, needing time to help Samantha push the boogie man out of her life. She knew he had wanted to see exactly what went on, but she also knew that his presence there would do so much more harm than good. Samantha was passed out upstairs in Lina's bed. The poor thing had nearly fainted during the process and Lina felt so guilty about not being able to take the pain from the child. But the good news was it was over. Samantha was having pleasant dreams upstairs while Lina was on her hands and knees scrubbing vigorously at the hardwood floor to try and remove the chalk marks. Lina had foolishly thought chalk would just come right off of polished wood. Wrong! She had been looking up methods online and so far none of them had succeeded. The shape of a large pentacle was still extremely visible and showed no signs of relenting to the damp wash rag in her hands.

"Come on you stupid floor…get clean…Matt will kill me for this. I know he will. Stupid chalk, washable my ass. I may as well have used freaking paint." She kept mumbling similar complaints into the floor. Matt had sent her a text saying he would be home in an hour or two, and it sounded like he was going to meet up with the others at the club to see how the night went. Lina felt so…irritable. Looking down at her almost inch long nails she had the image of them tearing into some unfortunate fools flesh and watching the blood drip down to pool at her feet. With a shake of her head she returned to washing the floor. Apparently she had not done a great job purifying Vlad's energy. Oh course she would never tell him that. She needed to keep some kind of dignity since she was apparently trying to make out with him at every chance she got. Curse her hormones and him for being so sexy! Lina couldn't even blame that thought on Sandra, it was purely her own thought and so were some of the accompanying fantasies. She pulled the washcloth away from the floor and wailed in despair, the chalk was smeared and the pentacle looked even bigger. She lowered her head tried to collect her breath. She was not going to panic and scream. That would not help her. She needed to think through this clearly. "If it wasn't me I bet this would be fucking hilarious."

"It is weakling. And I must say your hips do this intriguing circular motion as you scrub. But don't stop scrubbing on my account; I'm sure that the chalk will come off soon." Lina looked behind to find Vlad sitting in the chair behind her, a wine glass in his hand. The thick dark red liquid swirled much too slowly to be wine, a chill running down Linas' spine. She changed her position so she was facing him on her knees. Vlad was wearing his sunglasses, shielding his eyes from her. Lina doubted she wanted to see the look in his red orbs. "Well then girl, get on with it. Clean up your mess." Lina moved her hand to toss the cloth at his smug face, finding that her limb no longer responded to her. "Please dear girl, throw it. Give me some provocation that will justify the punishments I plan to inflict on you." Lina narrowed her gaze, trying to squint enough so she could see his energy. Something was very…dark about him. "I was hunting while I was out…do you know what thoughts kept running through my head?" Lina could feel his gaze piercing her through the glasses. Her head shook almost undetectably. The very room seemed to get darker around him, the darkness creeping closer to her. Instinctively Lina scooted to be within the smudged border of the chalk circle. He gracefully stood to his full height and the motion served to make her feel so tiny. "Your thoughts." A blank look came over Lina's face. She had no idea which set of thoughts he was talking about. "Your thoughts kept swimming through my mind and distracted me. They were not unpleasant distractions, but they are distractions nonetheless." He took a step towards her, his boot clicking on the floor. "I had cornered one of those pathetic wolves tonight. I had him pinned to the wall and was about to figure out exactly where that little mongrel of an ex you have is hiding when suddenly I get the mental image of myself doing very sinful things to your body." Even with his eyes blocked from her view Lina could feel them traveling her flesh. She felt naked.

"Why do you think it was my thoughts? Maybe you can't keep your mind off me." She teased half-heartedly, scooting further into the circle and away from him. A dark rumbling laugh came from him, and Lina barely held in a whimper of terror. His lips spread wide over his teeth, and Lina felt her heart clench in dread. Her hands were flat on the floor, focusing her energy into trying to put up the protective barrier again even if the circle was smeared. Lina could feel the wobbly energy barrier rising up slowly, only to have it scattered as his boot crossed the circle. He towered over her, his boots shimmering in the light which was all she looked at. Lina was not brave enough to look up at him.

"I know it was not my thoughts because…" Lina gasped as she found herself in his arms. "I would never have said for the naughty things you did, like wanting to be milked like a cow." Vlad's' voice hissed seductively, dangerously into her ear. She was shivering like a leaf in his hold. With a tortuously slow pace he set her down. Lina felt like she was about to cry with humiliation and shame. Her arms wrapped around her chest protectively, but the damage was done. Vlad turned on his heels, making his way back to his wine glass sitting on the table. "Use some of your magic to help clean it." Lina nodded, rushing past him to the kitchen to quickly boil water. When she rushed past him again to find soap he pulled her to his chest, his hand running through her hair, curling stands around his fingers. "What are you shamed by? That you were caught thinking that way about me, or because of the things you said in those daydreams?" He purred as his fingers traced down her spine, rubbing just enough to make her nerves tingle. A deep shade of scarlet colored her cheeks.

"What I said. Now let me go. I need to get the place clean before Matt and the others get back." His index finger and thumb gently gripped her chin, making her look into his eyes, his sunglasses slipping down his aristocratic nose, a smirk on his lips that made Lina want to forget her vow to be pure till marriage.

"You are way more obsessed with me than I gave you credit for." She looked away even as he held her close, his teeth scraped her neck and Lina nearly mewled. "I like it."

\-----------------------------------

Outskirts of Essex…8 a.m.

Sean woke up with a yawn, rolling out of the king sized bed that was in the master bedroom of the house his pack had claimed for their new hangout till her could get closer to the vampire. His hair was messed up, and there were streaks of blood across his bare chest. He dragged his claws along the bedroom wall, leaving gash marks in the drywall. In the bathroom he looked over his reflection. He was filthy. Taking a sniff he confirmed that he reeked. A sneer crossed his lips, his sharp teeth glistening in the fluorescent light. He turned the shower on and scrubbed at his body. He could hear a ruckus downstairs from his pack, growling in agitation. Couldn't those idiots go ten hours without fucking up? With a few shakes of his body Sean was dry; pulling on the one clean pair of pants he had before going downstairs to see the others all crowded around someone on the couch. Literally tossing one of the wolves out of his way Sean came to see that Gerald was laying there on the couch, panting heavily, face pale, sweating bullets, and he smelt completely wrong. Gerald's face looks sunken in, like he was withering away right before Sean's' eyes. A thick towel was wrapped around Gerald's neck.

"What the hell happened to him?" Sean demanded from the others in the room. They all looked at Gerald, then to each other before turning to their alpha. "Well! Answer me!"

"Dracula got him last night. A huge chunk of his neck is gone, he lost so much blood. Gerald has been like this for hours. I could barely carry him back. He tried to eat me. He ain't one of us anymore. I didn't even know we could become vampires. Put him out of his misery Alpha." Sean put his hand on Gerald's head, feeling just how cold the skin was despite the sweating.

"He's going to help me figure out what to do to weaken Dracula. Lock him up in the basement downstairs. I'm going out to get some stuff, no one leaves the house. Got that, and for the love of God keep low profiles."

Chapter End


	19. Treats and a Trick

October 31…Vance Home …11 a.m.

This was the third best day of the year! The only holidays better were Christmas and her birthday. Samantha was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for the door to open. Halloween this year was on a Saturday, a long night of candy collecting was awaiting her. Matt was going to take her out to a haunted house after lunch, and then her parents were going to take her trick-or-treating. The only way this day could get any better is if she could really use the broomstick grasped firmly in her hand to fly. She had to wait till after the haunted house before she put on her makeup, Lina promising to do it for her. The small bag at her side was filled with the store brand costume paint for her witch costume. The black fabric went all the way down to her ankles; the black fabric belt had a decorative piece of suede cut to into the shape of a bat. A long, pointed, wide brimmed witch's hat sat on her head, falling off every time she moved too quickly. The long sleeves went to her arms before the fabric looked like it had been cut into strips. A smile almost wider than her jaw was firmly plastered to her face, why wasn't Matt opening the door? Her body started to twitch, she was about ready to reach up and bang once more so she could get someone to let her in! There was so much to do and she wanted to do it all now! There was a click as someone on the other side unlocked the door, Samantha barely letting the door swing open before bursting into the foyer. Turning quickly on her flat shoes Samantha squealed in delight and rushed to hug Matt, her voice overflowing with sweetness.

"Hello Matt! I'm so excited! Can we go to the haunted house yet!? Can we? Can we?!" Her older cousin gave her a smile, hugging her back and then turning to greet her parents.

"She's been so excited all day. I could barely get her to sleep last night. From the way she's jumping around I swear she must have eaten some candy already. Definitely not letting her have any tonight." Samantha looked at her mother with a look of childish consternation.

"But Mommy! It's Halloween! I just have to eat some of my candy!"

"Samantha, we'll see about it later tonight." Samantha's shoulders slumped as her father used his authority voice. He gave her a wink behind her mother's back, her face lighting up again. "Why don't you put your things down since we're staying for lunch?" Samantha nodded happily, putting her stuff on table in the foyer. Matt came over to her and she latched onto his hand, grinning up at him with every ounce of energy she had.

Upstairs in Seth's room, Lina was looking for her sewing needle that she just dropped on all fours, her face close to the floor so she could get a better view. The bruises had disappeared two days after Lina had borrowed Vlad's' energy. Since then any small wound she got seemed to heal at ten times the rate that was normal for her. Hopefully the energy would leave her soon, sharing his energy had given Vlad the ability to telepathically connect with her, and she did not like it. Seth sat at his desk with Lina's' laptop open in front of him, his fingers flying over the keys. There were program windows opened and he was reading through countless program codes. She had apparently messed something up, as usual, and he was fixing it for her.

"Lina, I don't even know how you can destroy a brand new computer so quickly. You have a special gift for making computers want to die." He said offhandedly to her, already knowing that it was her complete lack of skills that lead to the minor technical problems she would run to him for help with. Lina nodded acceptingly. At least this one could still turn on.

"I can't help it, technology and I just don't seem to understand each other. It wants me to follow all that computer language crap and I just want it to do want I command it to do." She grinned in triumph as she found her needle. Returning to her seat next to him she picked up the thread and began once more to try and force the thread through the needle's eye. "What are you going to be this Halloween Seth? You never told me." The thread passed through the eye, Lina pulling it out and tying it properly as she picked up the fabric she was still embroidering. This was her first attempt, her frustration growing as the design she had planned came out lopsided and uneven.

"Lina, I don't dress up for Halloween any more. I'm going as far as vampire fangs and fake blood. It's cheap, quick, and simple. Are you doing something elaborate?" He asked, mostly focused on correcting the last few lines before running a test of the program.

"Yup. I love my costume. I'm going to be a huge nerd, but that's fine with me. It took me forever to find each article of clothing." She was smiling proudly at herself as she remembered the treasure hunting she had done to get each part of her costume.

"What are you?" Seth asked, restarting her computer to double check the program. She made a tisk tisk sound, changing the color of the thread.

"No telling, you'll have to wait till tonight to see." Her computer hummed to life, everything once again right with the world.

"Alright. Is Vlad dressing up too?" They both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Yeah right, he's got a stick so far up his ass. I asked him last week, and he said no way in hell would he ever dress up for, and I quote, 'Meaningless tradition where they make a mockery of the very things they need to fear most'." She deepened her voice, trying to mimic his voice. Lina put her embroidery aside, tired of trying to get it to obey her for now.

"I guess being a monster hunter takes all the fun out it. I wonder what he would think of the Twilight Saga." Seth said offhandedly as he passed the computer over to Lina.

"He bought every edition he could find and used them for target practice. He kept ranting about vampires not sparkling. I'm scared what he'd do if he knew it was a series." When Seth looked at Lina he saw she was dead serious and made a mental note to never mention the series. "I feel bad for the blockbuster, they were just playing the movie for people in the que line."

"Hey, what did you rent that night?" Lina gave a dreamy sigh.

"The Labyrinth with David Bowie. I love that movie! Vlad actually got jealous when I kept staring at the screen. I think it was a blow to his ego." She snickered at the memory.

"What are you going to do tonight?" Seth moved to his closet and set out the clothes he was going to wear this evening.

"I don't really know, I might come to club if you guys aren't too embarrassed by what I'm going to wear. If Vlad has plans I'll probably go with him, and if worse comes to worse I'll stay here and watch the Ghost Hunters marathon and live show so I spooky myself silly tonight as I pass candy out." Lina collected her stuff before she left, carrying it to her room.

\-----------------------------------

Hellsing Headquarters…5 p.m.

Walter could not believe this. Sir Integra was getting ready for a date. She was going on an actual date, and she was going with that Vance fellow. Walter shuddered. That hooligan was not anywhere near the standard of men Integra should be interested in. Perhaps he had done her a disservice not letting her date in her teen years. He was going to drive her to the restaurant that she and Mr. Vance had agreed to meet at. Walter felt like he should get his wires out and give the young man a 'warning'. Integra was an adult, she could handle herself effectively. Seras and all the troops had been sent out on their missions for the night. Halloween was one of the most hectic nights of the year for Hellsing. The number of monsters just seemed to magnify exponentially on this night. Alucard had already told them that he would be with Lina the entire evening, taking the stress of sparing the four or five troops off. Why was Integra going on a date tonight of all nights? Yes she could simply call any of the troops with the radio in the car, but it felt wrong for a Hellsing to not be in the manor. Glancing up the stairs he saw Sir Hellsing coming down in the simple green sleeveless dress that ended above her knees. Silently he moved ahead of her, handing her a coat before opening the door and letting her pass. The sky was overcast, the silvery shadow of the full moon behind the clouds barely visible. Walter could feel it in his gut that something was going on tonight. He just hoped it didn't have anything to do with Alucard. There would be no stopping the vampire this night. As he closed the car door Walter wondered if he should put his wires on. He always kept a set in the glove box incase, but he decided he would hold off on that for now.

Once the car started Integra rolled up the divider between her and Walter, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. She could feel his disappointment in waves at this whole date. Matthew had been so convincing in his letter, and now she was dressed and ready to spend an evening away from her post. The further they drove from headquarters the deeper her guilt settled in. She should be at her desk, waiting for the troops to confirm missions had been completed. Her hair was in an elegant bun, stands framing her face, and she had worn her less intimidating glasses. Her hand drifted to firmly grasp the silver cross at her neck. Since the incident with Miss Khayam getting trapped in her basement Integra had been looking into the history of the organization along with trying to find Abraham's notebooks on Alucard. She was making just as much headway there as she was with finding those wolves. Maybe there was still time to call this whole thing off. She was too distracted to be good company tonight. No, her father and mother had left headquarters multiple times to spend time together. Why should she be locked up alone with only her butler, a vampire and a horde of perverted mercenaries to keep her company? She felt the guilt dropping away. She was human, and she deserved to have some time for herself. Every hour since she was 13 had been spent either studying or running the organization. One night for her was not a sin. Turning her gaze to the twilight around her Integra smiled despite herself. Tonight was going to be a pleasant evening. She had put all her affairs in order and she trusted that her troops were competent enough at this point to handle the missions. Who knows, if she stopped worrying, she might just have fun.

\----------------------------------

Outskirts of Essex…6:17 p.m.

Sean was pacing through the house, his energy rising to new heights. He and all the wolves could feel the full moon shining brightly in the sky behind the clouds, all of them exhibiting somewhat more wolfish features. His claws were out, his jaw looking more like a wolf's snout and his shoulders set wider apart. His muscles bulging out and he was licking at his teeth with an overly long tongue. Half of them were sprouting tails, some ears, all of them eager to rip something apart. Sean was remembering back to when Lina had been explaining what Halloween really was, he believed her now, he was overflowing with energy. Once Sean weakened Dracula he would be able to finish the vampire off and Lina would swoon in his arms. And then he would show her how much he missed her. An evil smirk came over his face as he imagined her begging him. He was going to save her yes, but she needed to be punished still for running in the first place. His secret weapon was in a plastic bottle in his pants pocket. He needed to make sure he didn't get exposed to it; otherwise he would be the loser tonight. The other wolves were gorging themselves on some of the neighborhood pets. They had decided that after tonight it wouldn't matter if the neighbors called the cops, this was their last night here. Personally Sean was eating some of the meat he had stolen from the grocery store. He already had this all planned out. Lina would be a problem simply because he knew that if she was under Dracula's control she would rush to protect him. Also he had no idea if Dracula had forced her to use magic to make the vampire stronger. He would put Lina somewhere he knew would keep her from interfering. Now the only issue was getting her, Dracula would hopefully follow.

"Boys….get ready to move out, we need to find Lina and take her. No one is to do anything to her, got that, if any of you so much as sniff at her I'll treat you like Gerald. The first one to find her is to take her to the meeting place and call the rest of us so we can be ready to fight. Remember, we win, and we become the best monsters the planet has fucking seen." There was a chorus of agreement and howls of excitement. They quickly polished off their meals before abandoning the house, howling as they started the hunt, using their inhuman speeds to get into the city, staying as out of sight as possible. Children were everywhere in costumes in the better areas, lines of people outside of the haunted houses, and all the famous haunts in London were crowded by ghost enthusiasts and teens wanting to give each other a good scare and hoping it would lead to more. The entire city was beginning a dance with the darkness filled with monsters. People that saw them all gasped, pointed, and then cried out in envy at the quality of the costumes. If only they really knew.

\--------------------------

Vance Home…6 p.m.

Lina was busy dabbing on watercolor based green paint, adding some shading with the darker and lighter mixes, to Samantha's face. Lina was being careful of keeping the layers light so when Samantha went to bed it would not be with a green tinted face. Setting the paint aside Lina gently applied the plastic wart onto the end of Samantha's button nose. Lina had pinned the hat down into Samantha's hair so it wouldn't fall off as much. Satisfied with the result Lina turned Samantha to face the mirror.

"What do you think Samantha?" The child studied herself in the mirror, checking that everything was in order. A grin brightened up the green face.

"It looks so good, thank you! I'm going to get so much candy!" She was bouncing around excitedly, dashing into the living room from the kitchen to show her parents the new look. Lina began to clean up the mess, setting aside the instructions for removing the wart. Janette came into the kitchen, thanking Lina for doing the makeup, forcing Lina to accept the five pounds from her. Lina handed her the instructions and then excused herself so she could get dressed. Matt had left to go meet his date. Janette had been grinning like a school girl as he had blushed, leaving in a huff, disappointed that his friends had ratted out his plans for the evening. They were all waiting in the living room. The boys twitching as they needed to get to the club and open the doors, tonight would be a busy night for them. There was the distinct sound of shoes coming down the stairs, a shadow seeping into the room from the hallway.

The shadow was tall, the distinct shape of a fedora perched on top of the figures' head. All eyes looked up at the figure casting the shadow. Standing there was a 5'4" Indiana Jones; the head turned down to cover the face of the wearer. From fedora to boots a great copy of the action hero. At the figure's side was a bullwhip, and the holster at the other hip had a gun securely locked in it. The leather jacket covered the button down shirt underneath, the satchel at the person's side. Slowly the head turned up, revealing a smirking Lina. Her hair was perfectly straight, pulled back into a low ponytail as her bangs framed her face.

"What do you guys think? I was worried that being so short would be a problem considering proportions and all. Does it look okay?" She walked into the room from the hallway, her dramatic moment over. Samantha had a puzzled look on her face, not understanding who Lina was trying to be. The boys were up and all laughing as they checked out the near perfect detail on the costume.

"You look great. Only thing wrong is that you're a girl." Kyle said, checking out the gun holstered at her hip and grinning.

"Who are you supposed to be Lina?" Lina and the boys all turned to Samantha. Her father handled the question first.

"She's dressed up as Indiana Jones. You have to watch the movies to get the reference." He gave Samantha a pat on the head. "We can rent them if you want to see them. Right now though, we need to get going if you plan on trick-or-treating at all tonight." The mention of missing out on the sugary conquests made Samantha rush around trying to get her parents ready to leave. Samantha waved goodbye, collecting her costume accessories, dashing out in front of her parents to the car. All three of the boys were dressing up in the same clothes as usual. Seth had fangs in, fake blood dripping out the corners of his mouth. Steve had a scream mask on, and Kyle had put on one of those prosthetics that made it look like a butcher's knife was buried into his skull.

"Are we waiting on that boyfriend of yours before we can leave?' Steve said, rolling his shoulders to try and release some of his tension.

"Um…Vlad should be here soon, he sent me a text saying he was meeting up with his new 'friend' to pick something up." Lina scratched under the brim of her hat, her other hand going to pat comfortingly at the whip. She had always wanted to dress up as her childhood action hero and her first crush, and now she was. Her attention to detail however was for a much more practical reason. Tonight she had no bodyguards, just the king of vampires to protect her from a pack of crazy werewolves. She had faith Vlad could protect her from Sean, but she didn't trust him to protect her from his own desires. The 9 mm Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic single action pistol had been by far the single hardest part of her costume, simply because guns in England were extremely difficult. Vlad had helped her get the weapon, seeing it as a way to help keep her protected. Searching around in her satchel bag Lina found that it was surprisingly empty and light. She must have forgotten the extra magazines upstairs in her room. All the magazines had live ammo, which was why she paid a lot of attention into how to properly use the safety and reload. Lina had managed to get Pip to teach her how to hold the gun so she could avoid the bite. She had soaked the tip of her whip in a special mix of herbs that would hurt any creature of the night, vampire, werewolf, and any other demon that crossed her path tonight. Her bag also was serving a purpose aside from carrying the extra magazines, to carry the many wards and supplies necessary for driving back the nasty creatures that found their way to the realm of the living. Tonight was Samhain, and she would not be caught unaware, with her current stream of luck it paid to be over prepared. Dashing back up to her room Lina grabbed the four clips and put them away inside the zipper section of her bag. As she came down the stairs she began to hum the Indiana Jones theme song. That tune for her was like auditory crack, once she heard it she needed to hear it again and again. Looking around the foyer she could see that Vlad still hadn't arrived yet, Steve, Kyle, and Seth all looking a bit antsy. "I wish Vlad was here right now. We need to-" The front door suddenly swung open, a whorl of wind bringing with it a flurry of autumn colored leaves, blinding them all. Once the leaves had calmed down the four of them looked to the figure in the doorway.

Lina felt her mind scrambling to wrap around the image before her, and then felt it failing miserably. Before Lina and the others stood Vlad dressed up as Jareth the goblin king. The tattered cape was swirling around his long legs in the riding boots. Vlads' hair was styled to perfectly match except his own locks were pitch midnight black instead of the platinum blond. The armored shirt was glistening with a metallic blue sheen, the high collar commanding attention to his face. Lina did not dare look further down than his waist, terrified that Vlad would be wearing the unspeakably tight breeches that had insured Jareth would never be forgotten by fans. The only thing missing was the medallion. Taking a closer look at Vlad's face Lina felt her legs start to tremble under her. He was even wearing the right makeup, and he looked fucking amazing. A smirk crossed Vlad's lips as he moved towards the stairs. He gave her a quick once over.

"I am going to assume your silence is one of awe weakling. I have to admit, I was hesitant at first to wear this, but your current reaction is well worth the hassle." He purred dangerously at her, his eyes flashing red before the others could see. Turning to her friends he gave them an evil smile. "You may leave. I have plans for Lina tonight." The boys seemed to hesitate but left all the same. "Well Lina, have you nothing to say?" Lina gulped and closed her eyes, trying to take a calming breath before facing him.

"I have to rethink my opinion of vampires and glitter." She said breathlessly, her brain overloaded with fan girl enthusiasm and it was about ready to explode. She was a Dracula fan girl and a Jareth fan girl, and seeing this was making her short circuit. Lina wanted to throw a fit; she was going to have sex with him tonight, she had no choice in the matter. This was too much sexiness for her to resist. Oh well, she gave it her best shot. Nineteen years was a good run for keeping virginity now a days. "You did this on purpose didn't you?"

"No, the fates just turned it all in my favor. I was honestly not going to wear a costume, but then an offer I could not refuse came my way, and now I'm standing here before you like this." He moved so she could finish her decent down the stairs. "I must say, I'm disappointed that you are wearing such a masculine outfit. It would have been much more satisfying if you were in a dress, a skirt even." He brushed it off, wrapping an arm around her waist before calmly leading her away from the house.

"Vlad, we can't leave that huge pile of leaves and crap in the house, Matt will be pissed." He snapped his fingers, the wind that had brought the leaves in coming in reverse to sweep the mess out once more into the yard. Lina locked the door, securing the key to the latch on her bag. "Wow…I don't know why I'm still so impressed, after that hail storm I should just expect anything with you." He rolled his eyes at her attempt to make his powers seem less impressive with her sarcasm. "Do you have any idea how freaky it is to see you dressed like that? Where did you get such a good costume?" He simply led Lina to his motorcycle, getting on first before letting her get settled in his lap.

"That 'friend' I told you about, that's where I got the costume." Lina put the fedora in her bag, securing the helmet on her head as Vlad wrapped his arms around her to grasp the handles.

"Who is this friend of yours?" She was interested; she honestly didn't know he could have friends.

"I met him last week." He simply stated, revving the motorcycle and driving off, the cape flaring out behind him dramatically without getting caught in anything. Lina was grinning, she loved his motorcycle now, having lost almost all her fear, the small amount of fear she still had was necessary for it to be thrilling. 'What do you want for dinner?' Lina could hear his voice in her head, nearly twitching in his lap, but the threat of being run over as she fell off kept her in place.

'Sushi, and for you to stay out of my head please.' He gave out a cruel laugh as he swerved between two very large trucks, passed on one's blind side as it turned down the same street, the truck honking angrily at them. Leaning the bike precariously close to the ground, Lina was frightened he was going to scrape their legs against the pavement. Her arms wrapped around his middle as she braced herself. When he righted the bike Lina let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

'Sushi sounds pleasant, and I will wander in your mind all I like darling.' Lina wisely stopped her retort, not wanting him to pull off any more stunts that could leave her maimed. The rest of the ride was relatively silent. As they pulled up to a sushi bar Lina happily took off the helmet, fixing her hair. Vlad easily lead her through the throng of people waiting to get in tonight, a lot of them looking like they were about to complain until looking up at him, the men deciding it was not worth it, and the women looking him over and erupting into giggles and blushes. A dagger of jealousy stabbed Lina in the heart and she tossed that dagger at every woman that looked Vlad's' way. She could hear him snickering at her expense. 'Jealousy? Over me, I had no idea you like me so much. Not with all the insults you hurl at me.' She could feel the mockery leaking over her mind from his voice.

'You know I like you, and I only insult you because you deserve it.' She hissed at him in her mind. The host guided them to a table, Vlad pulling her chair out in a gentlemanly fashion and then pushing it in. Lina blushed and was about to look at him when she realized something, the height she was sitting at was basically eye level with Vlad's' waist, and the pants were as tight as she had feared. Putting her hand over her eyes she didn't know whether to smile with glee or groan with the mental scarring she had just experienced. "I want you to know, that image is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I was eye level with it…" She winced and tried to take a calming breath. Looking up at his face across from her she saw the oh-so-smug look he had, his ego obviously growing at the statement.

"But you will still be thinking about it, won't you Lina." His ability to frustrate her knew no limits. "Aside from giving you mental trauma, how was the view?" He asked her pleasantly, giving her that predatory smile where all his teeth were sharpened and lustrous in the light. Her jaw went slightly slack. He had made sure she had caught the eye full! The pervert!

"It looked like you stuffed a thick pair of socks down there." She huffed out, looking from him to the menu. He was chuckling again, his gloved finger pushing the menu down and her gaze returning to his face.

"Thick yes, being stuffed with socks or other items, definitely not." Lina felt her mouth going dry, putting her hand up to flag down a waiter. She would not allow her mind to go on with the train of thought he was trying to push her onto. His infamous nick name kept swimming to the front of her mind and she had to bite her tongue from asking which activity had given it to him first. The waiter came to their table, politely asking what they wanted to drink. "I'll have hot sake, and she will have a diet Pepsi or Coke, whichever one you have." The waiter quickly nodded and walked away from them. Normally Lina would be mad, but he had ordered exactly what she always ordered, so she decided to take it as a good thing that he remembered those kinds of details.

"Do you think it such a wise idea to be drinking since you are the only one of use that can drive your bike?" She was already marking off the items she wanted to order, passing it over to Vlad once she had finished. She was surprised to see him marking a few things off as well. "You don't have to order food anymore. I know you prefer eating the servers." A smirk came to her face.

"I don't get drunk like humans do. And I happen to like sushi; the raw fish is somewhat edible. Besides, with those jealous looks you gave the women, I doubt you would take kindly to me feeding off one of these women before your eyes." Her smile dropped to a scowl, he was right. Lina cringed, the thought of him feeding off another woman made her uneasy.

"You really know how to pop a happy bubble Vlad." He arched an eyebrow elegantly.

"I consider that a talent of mine Lina." Their dinner was pleasant, the two of them getting into a 'friendly' debate over who started the Crusades. Everyone around their table had given the couple looks, and carefully moved their table further away as Lina and Vlad both stood to their feet, leaning over the table towards the other and glowering. When the manager had come out and asked them to leave, Vlad had stared the man down till he rescinded his request and gave them their meal gratis as an apology for interrupting them. Calmly they sat down to finish their dinner.

"Why did you do that? I was going to pay for dinner." Lina pouted, picking up her chopsticks and nibbling off of the eel. It was her absolute favorite type of sushi. His own set of chopsticks picked up the salmon sashimi and he popped it into his mouth.

"Tonight neither of us is paying for dinner, so put the issue to rest." He was on his third bottle of Sake, Lina growing reluctant to let him drive his bike. "I'm not drunk yet, so stop keeping count. It would take me being completely empty of blood or twenty bottles before I got tipsy." He smirked as her frown got deeper, her eyes glaring at him. Lina was really hoping this whole telepathy business would end soon.

"In a way you still paid. Making them give us a free meal is in essence the same as me not paying. I hate that you know. You won't let be me on even footing with you. It makes me feel like I owe you." He chuckled and leaned down a bit so he was giving her a half lidded from across the table, the red glow on his eyes like fire embers.

"Dear Lina, you don't understand at all. We are even. I have power, you have weakness. I have much, you have little. I do things, you know things. I cannot control you; you cannot control the world around you." Those words made her heart clench in joy and disappointment, the only good one she had was knowing, but he did consider her even, making butterflies flutter in her stomach. He reached out with his chopsticks and picked up the last piece of bright, healthy, red tuna, lifting it up and taking a bite from it, offering the other half to her. She tried to get it from him with her own utensils only to be deterred and the flesh pushed back towards her mouth. Taking a sip from her drink she made it clear she wasn't going to take it. He popped the tuna into his mouth and gracefully stood up, escorting her outside and back onto his bike.

"Where are we going now?" She put the helmet on once more. A tremble passed through Lina as he leaned down, his voice somehow making it past the helmet.

"That my dear girl is a surprise." He whispered it huskily, and Lina clenched her thighs together tighter as if that would protect her from the raging hormones.

\-----------------------------------

London…8:48 p.m.

Integra and Matt were sitting at the table outside watching as people ran by in costumes, religious people stood on street corners and preached about the evil of Halloween, and others completely ignored the holiday all together. They were currently waiting on the check. A motorcycle was stopped across from them. Integra narrowed her eyes to get a better glimpse at the couple on the bike and was confused beyond belief.

"Is that Lina and Vlad?" Matt said with incredulity. As the traffic light turned green the couple on the bike moved further away in the darkness, the cape flying out behind them.

"I would not doubt it. Tonight is the night for strange things." Integra sipped her white wine, looking over at Matt who was still staring after the bike.

"But the odds are like…unbelievable." With a shrug of his shoulders he turned back to her, the soft candlelight giving their entire dinner a much more romantic feel than he had planned on. "What are your plans for the rest of the evening?"

"I have none; I should be getting back to my post though. The monsters do not stop their unholy activities simply because I leave the office." She said with a half hearted laugh. She actually allowed her shoulders to slump, Matt was not judging her. "This dinner was very nice. I cannot remember actually enjoying a night out. I was never allowed. Responsibility is a heavy burden." She swirled her wineglass the same way she had watched Alucard swirl his when he sat at the dinner table with her, taking the place of her father at many of those early teenage years. As much as she complained about him, he had at least been some form of company. Walter was company as well, but she always felt that somewhere deep down he would never make the move to be more than her adviser and butler. She had projected her need for family onto the two insane men. Alucard had mocked her, tormented her, and challenged her, forcing her to be ready to deal with the task she had thrust upon her shoulders. All of it was done for his own amusement, but it had served her well. Their power struggle had sharpened her wit, made her will as strong as iron, and had given her the cold heart needed to sentence others to their death. "Did you have plans for after dinner?" The waiter came and Matt quickly took care of the check, not even waiting the minute to let her offer. Integra let the corners of her lips turn up at the sweet gesture.

"Honestly, no. But if you are willing to be adventurous, I know a great nightclub. We'll have V.I.P. passes." His green eyes were sparkling in hope and with a hint of playfulness at her. There was no malice, no dark motive, no political reasoning behind the flirt. She took the last sip from her wine and leaned towards him with a spark of playfulness in return.

"I have always wanted to see what it's like." Matt hid his amazement that she was agreeing, watching her stand up. He hopped from his seat and offered his arm to the blond woman. She accepted and let him lead her from the restaurant, stopping him as he turned to take her to Walter who was sitting in the car. "I think I would rather ride with you Mr. Vance. If you pose no objections?" Matt thought he was hearing things.

"Oh course I don't mind…but is your butler going to be alright with this?" He did not want to admit it, but he was nervous around the older gentleman.

"I'm old enough to make my own choices." She walked over to the car and spoke quickly to Walter, coming back over to him with a smirk on her lips. "I'm ready to go." Matt nearly gulped, keeping his cool as he lead her to his car and held the door open for her to slide in. As he sat in the driver's seat he cast a sidelong glance at Integra, turning the key in the ignition and carefully driving off towards the club. It took thirty minutes to get through the city, most of the trick-or-treaters gone to home with their parents. Teenagers and young adults were loitering on street corners and buildings, waiting to get in to the haunted houses before they closed their doors for the night. The clouds had started to fade, the full moon casting its light upon the city, but the buildings casted long, ominous shadows. Tonight was a night for the impossible. Once parked Matt hopped from his seat to open her door, watching as her long legs exited first followed by her graceful motion to stand. Her blue eyes looked up at him a grin on her face as she knew he had been looking her over. "Normally I would kill a man for giving me that kind look." Her voice was light and playful, but the truth behind those words still rang out loudly.

"Luckily I am not normal Lady Wingates." He answered in a more serious, husky tone. Offering her his arm as they walked towards the head of the line, Matt holding back a smile as Integra accepted.

"Integra, my name is Integra. I have enough people to call me by titles Mr. Vance." Integra gave a slight toss of her hair, the slight breeze of the evening playing with some of the lighter strands.

"Then I'll insist that you call me Matt." The bouncer at the door recognized Matt, opening the door for them to pass, a cry of disappointment rising up from the line of people dressed up to the nines all waiting to get in.

\---------------------------------

Carfax…9:32 p.m.

"Can you take this stupid thing off, I hate not being able to see where I'm going?" Lina huffed, waiting for Vlad to lead her somewhere. He had pulled them over and made her put the blindfold on before driving the rest of the way to his secret location. He had been sure to tie it in a way that no matter how much she tugged, yanked, and pulled it would not budge. A firm squeeze on her hand was the only response she got, a warning that she needed to stop whining.

"Just trust me weakling. You'll love this." He snickered at her as she flushed with anger at being insulted.

"Excuse me if I find it difficult to put my full trust in a man that has a nasty reputation of doing really cruel and twisted shit. Especially when he is wearing pants three sizes too small for him." Lina felt her foot hit the ledge of a stair, making her stumble and grasp onto Vlad for support, her arms ending up around his waist.

"I'm sorry dear, did you trip on something, or are my pants just that appealing to you?" The mockery in his tone was almost edible. She quickly pulled herself away from him, crossing her arms in an attempt to block him from grabbing her hand once more.

"You didn't warn me about the step." She could hear the click of his boots against what sounded like stone floors. Without his hand guiding her she could feel her hearing kicking into overdrive to make up for the lack of sight.

"You aren't being grateful that I'm in this ridiculous get up so I can be romantic for you." He shot back just as quickly, circling her slowly like a shark. He saw her visibly shrink back in embarrassment. Her face turned downward, the hat shielding her from his eyes.

"Sorry, I really do appreciate it Vlad. And it isn't ridiculous. It's just…not you. It looks good, but it's just not you." Her tone softened.

"Can we continue?" He asked, softening his tone as well. She smiled and nodded, holding her hand out for him to lead her once more. His hand gripped hers again and he led her up the stair and down the stone corridors to the remains of the chapel, where he used to have his coffin, he had instead left it safe in the depths of Hellsing. The sky had grown darker, the clouds obscuring the full, bountiful moon. His fingers nimbly untied the blindfold from her eyes, the fabric fading into the very shadows of the room. As Lina blinked, trying to adjust her vision Vlad reached up into the sky and cleared the clouds so she would be bathed in moonlight. "This is my home."

Lina was stunned. It was beautiful. The moonlight created glistening silver outlines over the ruined stones. History was tangible in the atmosphere and she could just reach out for it. This took her breath away. Overgrown vines peaked out from the gaps in the stone walls, layers upon layers of dust rested on the ground. There were dangerous, jagged edges and foreboding arches. If she was outside looking in this place would seem evil, hateful, sinister, but from the inside she could see that it was all discouraging outside to protect the magnificent insides. Through the missing sections of wall the overgrown, wild gardens full of dead or dying plants created a sea of twisted knots and dulled colors. If she thought about it, it almost looked like the ground in the Nightmare Before Christmas, the world holding a texture here so distinct from anywhere else she had ever seen. Lina almost felt guilty for standing there. It had once been something of practical use, structured and complete, but as time wore on it lost its value, its usefulness. Others had come and replaced it, but none could be it. All those new ones may have more glittering gold, high ceilings, elaborate stained glass windows, overly opulent stone carvings to adorn them, and sprawling healthy gardens but this one held something more. It had a silent dignity about it. Even as time and decay settled in, this building and the grounds surrounding it would stay defiantly. It would not give up only to be destroyed, to be forgotten. Only an act of the divine or nature could obliterate this place, no mortal would ever succeed. This was Vlads' domain, no, it was Vlad. His home was him, a manifestation of his very essence. Vlad would never succumb to death, just as this place would never succumb to being destroyed.

"It's…beyond words Vlad, it really is." She stayed still, her eyes soaking in every detail, even the gossamer threads of spider silk held beauty. Of course she prayed there would be no spiders, but the way the strands collected the moonlight to create small pockets of shimmering silver made her want to stay here next to Vlad forever. With measured steps he walked from her side to stand in the center of the room, sweeping his arms out to welcome her into his sanctuary like the king he was.

"Welcome to my house. Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring."(1) He gave her a grin full of childish mirth, but his eyes gave her the look a man reserved for a woman. A raven cawed out in the garden, followed by a chorus of slithering, rustling, crunching, and off in the distance the sound of beasts baying up at the moon from the London Zoo. A chill ran down Lina's spine, but she took a few steps closer to Vlad, looking back to see the imprints of her shoes on the dust covered floor, but Vlad's' prints were missing. Of course he wouldn't leave tracks; such a thing would be beneath him.

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make."(2) She whispered softly, her eyes locking with Vlad's' own. Closing her eyes Lina inhaled, taking in the scent of age. A dreamy look coming over her face, and Vlad wrapped his arms around her, his head blocking out the moon. "This hairstyle gives you a halo." Quirking an eyebrow he took one of her small hands in his and putting the other at her waist. Reaching up Lina rested her hand on his forearm, when he led her through the silent waltz she felt her heart flutter. They were dancing to the sounds of the night. Lina never even noticed that she could not hear the bustling city that lay just beyond the walls, soaking in the magic of this moment.

"I'm no angel." A small round of giggles escaped from her, the sound light, airy, and fluid; clashing with the stillness of the world around her. "You should not find that amusing girl. I am an unholy beast, a monster. I am the darkness itself. I am evil incarnate, I am a being of destruction. I wish to claim the souls of the living. I feed upon the innocent and the wicked with no remorse. I am a dark god here to forge a kingdom for myself. I will not serve at the feet of God, nor do I trust the Devil to give me dominion." His voice was echoing off the very walls, the shadows that had lain harmless moments ago all seemed to stir, flocking to circle them, demonic red eyes blinking out of the pitch blackness to stare at Lina, peering into her very soul. She trembled and pressed herself closer to Vlad.

"If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." (Psalms 139, verses eleven to twelve.) His grip on her tightened as an emotion he could not place coursed through his veins. The shadows swarmed closer, leaving the two enclosed in a small beam of light.

"I am a man of war." He voiced it with a passion, with lust, with ultimate longing. The last phrase set the shadows off, unseen bodies writhing in sinful delight at the prospect of the chaos and blood such an event would bring.

"The lord is a man of war: the lord is his name." (Exodus 15, verse three.) He threw his head back and the whole world seemed to hold its breath as malicious laughter emanated from him. The sound so rich and deep, Lina feeling the conflicting urges to kiss him and flee from him.

"I thought witches did not read the Bible." He spun her in his arms, letting her dangle just outside the reach of the writhing mass of shadows before drawing her tightly to his body once more. Growling possessively at how wonderful she felt in his arms despite the masculine attire.

"Witches don't, but a college student trying to earn a minor in religious studies does." She tried to keep in step with him, his strides just so much wider than her own.

"When did you change your minor?" He asked with mild curiosity. He didn't care too much about her college, it was a custom that came about long after his own education.

"I'm going to medical school, they'll teach me what I need to know, so may as well enjoy my undergrad while I can. Besides, it helps my application stand out when I apply to med schools if I have degrees in something other than biology." He dipped her low, her hand reaching up to catch her fedora from toppling off. The hand at her waist pressed her closer to his hips, savoring the feel of her body heat pressed so closely against him. He hummed politely, faking any actual interest. They were dancing across the entire room, weaving an intricate path through the vigilant darkness.

"How did you recall those phrases so perfectly?" They slowly began to make much smaller circles, her head resting against his chest, her discomfort about the shades almost dissolved.

"When I was reading through the assigned pages, those phrases just kind of stuck with me." She said shyly, those phrases had made her think of him. She looked up at Vlad, smiling up at him with admiration. "Can you show me around your place?" The shadows all receded, becoming harmless once more. He stepped back from her and she yawned, trying to hide the drowsiness from him. It was barely fifteen after ten.

"I have a better idea. Let's play hide and seek. I'll give you till the count of twenty." The predatory smile he gave her shook her awake.

"But you have powers! That's cheating!" His smile widened, his eyes gleaming red.

"I won't use them; I will win our game regardless." He closed his blazing eyes. "One. Two. Three. Four." Lina turned on her heal and ran out of the chapel, her eyes darting around to search for a hiding place. Every direction was an obvious guess! "Twelve." Her feet moved, apparently she was going to the left. She needed to put distance between them. A good hiding spot would be too small for him to easily get into, but large enough that it wouldn't give her away. "Seventeen." Her feet led her outside, her eyes darting around even more. A tree! She made a dash, leaves and twigs snapping underfoot. She flattened herself against the back side of the tree. "Twenty." His voice rang out. Lina stilled her breathing, her entire body tensed for running away should Vlad find her. She could hear his steps through the dry foliage, glancing to the sides of the trees. He would expect her to go the left, so she would go right. Goosebumps rose on her flesh and the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Vlad strolled at a leisurely pace as he followed Lina's frantic steps. The garden…the only thing for her to hide behind out there was that tree. Twigs and leaves snapped underfoot. Lina would hear him approaching and dart off. How predictable she was. The path of least resistance she could take would be to the left, she would take the left path and try to double back into the building, once there she would go the direction she didn't take the first time. A twig snapped behind him, Vlad twirling on the sound and all thoughts of his playful game with Lina were forgotten. The wolves were here! His tongue darted out to wet his lips at the anticipation of slaughter. He would make each and every wolf pay for what they did. Standing before him were three of the werewolves. Their clothes were filthy, their bodies covered in fur, and their teeth were bared. Taking a step towards the trio the wolves took one back. These three were bait; they were going to lead Vlad to their alpha. An ambush, how typical, their alpha was not stupid enough to take him alone. He would be able to take them all out at once. Lunging forward Vlad grabbed one and ripping the wolf's head clean off, the other two wolves dashing away so quickly that there was only burrs of motion behind them. Vlad head the decapitated head over his mouth, his tongue catching the blood and directing it towards his mouth. With his hunger wetted he tossed the head to the ground. Tonight was going to be a beautiful night.

\-------------------------------

Hell Heart Club…10:38 p.m.

Integra could not remember the last time she had this much fun. She sipped off her drink, her glasses sliding down her nose. Her and Matt were on the upper level, only a few other couples in the area. All the flashing lights, fog, blaring music, and the heat from so many bodies combined to make the room alive with energy. She couldn't really hear the music, just the pumping base as people pressed close together on the dance floor. Looking down at them she wanted to laugh at it, they acted as if the music had them all in a trance, everyone in the center dancing perfectly together, the precision of the dancers decreasing the closer to the edges. Couples were pressed up in the corners of the room, drunkenly groping each other in anticipation of the activities to come later. Leaning a little further over the railing she gasped as her glasses came loose, expecting them to fall to their oblivion on the dance floor below. A hand darted out a snatched them from plummeting.

"I think these belong to you." Matt gently placed Integra's glasses back on her face. Integra could feel the heat of his skin as it brushed past her cheek and shivered. "I bet you get this all the time, but you have stunning eyes." His lips were turned up in charming smile.

"I do hear it all the time, just never heard it said with any truth before now." She pushed away from the railing and looked around, a particularly catchy beat drifted up to her ears and she rocked her body ever so slightly with the music. Matt was refraining from drinking, he still needed to drive home, and the glass he had of wine earlier was already pushing it. He was lucky that none of the guys knew that he and Integra were here, he had made sure to tell the bouncers to keep it under the table; he did not want to deal with their teasing. This was going so well. "Why did you do this instead of starting a normal business?" She sat back at their table, piercing him with her eyes.

"A bet." He leaned across the table, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. "I had a business degree, my friends bet that I couldn't do anything fun with it. I bet them that if I could get a night club up and running in one month and have it be popular they'd all have to work for me. Since we are here the ending to that story should be self evident." She licked at the sugar on the rim of her martini glass.

"Did you always dress like a punk, or did that come along with the club?" He seemed to think about it for a moment.

"I started to dress more business like when the club became a serious thing, the hair I did for the club. I like it personally, red looks so much better than the original color I went with." She raised an eyebrow.

"What was the original color?" She reached up and adjusted her necklace, having the clasp in front bothered her.

"Yellow. I thought it would be less noticeable, it just looked freaking stupid, and then when I tried to go back it got worse, so I made the choice to go red, and it has been that way since." He ran his fingers through his hair, messing up the already unruly strands.

"Would you suggest that I dye my hair?" She asked, examining the ends of a lock.

"Absolutely not. All the blondes I see have those awful highlights and lowlights, or pick colors that just don't do anything for them. You're hair is great the way it is, it makes you look like a fairytale princess." Matt wanted to slap himself after he said that. What a stupid comment.

"I can honestly say, you are the only person to ever say that to me." She was laughing low in her throat, a grin and light blush taking up residence on her face.

"Yeah, because I'm the only guy stupid enough to say it." He straightened up, his posture tense. God he was such an idiot, now she was always going to remember him as the dumbass that called her a princess.

"Director Wingates, we have a situation that requires your attention." Matt spun around quickly, jerking as he found the butler a few feet from them. Integra sobered instantly, getting up from the table with her usual grace and nodding to Walter.

"I'll be down in a moment Walter. Have the car warmed up." Walter gave her a bow and seemed to melt into the crowd. Matt shifted uncomfortably, that was creepy. He turned to Integra, holding his hand out for her to shake. To Matt's utter surprise Integra leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "For thinking I'm a princess." Without another word she turned on her heels and walked away, her back straight and people seeming to move out of her way. Matt blinked after her stupidly.

"Fairytale princess. You are either really drunk, or really lame." Matt turned to see Steve standing a on the other side of the table, a smirk on the other man's face that made Matt want to run. He was never going to hear the end of this.

\-------------------------------

Carfax…10:49

Seras and some of the Wild Geese were waiting around the radio in the van for a response from Sir Hellsing. They had found the body and disposed of it quickly, searching around for Lina and Vlad, finding the two gone. The footprints they found looked like someone was frantic, probably Lina. Seras and the troops with her had been scheduled to check up on the vampire, but when they found no one Seras had decided to at least call it in to Sir Integra. A static buzz burst through the tense air and they could hear Sir Integra's voice on the other end.

"Private Victoria, what is the situation?" The woman sounded more annoyed than usual over the radio.

"We came to check on Vlad and Miss Khayam. There was a male body. We are guessing a werewolf, who was decapitated. Both Miss Khayam and Vlad are no where in the vicinity of Carfax. I've tried to contact the two of them, no response."

"Contacting all units. If any unit sees Vlad or the werewolf pack in the Khayam case, contact other units and coordinate positions so they can be tracked. Do not engage Vlad, I repeat, do not engage the vampire, call back up units and move in pursuit as quickly as that unit can without jeopardizing prior missions. I want full status reports between missions and immediate updates on the positions of Vlad and or the werewolves. Do all units copy?" The radio hummed as each unit called in a response. Seras picked up the radio and called her units' response in. Turning to the troops they nodded, moving out to get to their next mission. Seras may not be fond of the American after the way their last meeting had gone at headquarters, she didn't want the girl to end up dead. Hopefully a unit would get Miss Khayam before Vlad decided he wanted another vampiress, this would give that conceited jerk a perfect excuse to turn someone. If there was not a unit there, he could say it was necessary. He'd used that excuse before. Seras reached up and rubbed at the scars on her neck that were hidden under the collar of her uniform.

"Three shapes seen travelling toward Oxfordshire. Two of the shapes travelled together followed five minutes later by the third shape. Unit 3 out." They wrote the communication down and proceeded to finish up with their missions.

\----------------------------

Oxfordshire…Abandoned Hook Norton Asylum…11:26 p.m.

"Wakey wakey Lina. Your hero is waiting for his kiss." A chorus of wolfish chuckles ran out. A throbbing sensation pulsed from her temple to the rest of her head. What happened? Opening her eyes Lina came face to face with red eyes set into a mostly wolfish face. Her eyes widened and she tried to jerk away from Sean, finding that she was surrounded by other snarling wolves. Their mouths open and red tongue hanging out, strings of drool dangling and leaving spots on the floor. The moon was still shining outside, giving a weak lighting to the room. Lina reached for the gun at her hip, finding her belt missing. She was without her bag, without her jacket, without a weapon, and without her fedora. "You don't need those nasty weapons anymore. Your mate is going to save you from the big bad vampire." His hand ran through her hair, gripping close to the roots and giving it a tug, almost yanking the patch of hair out. She cried out in pain. "Don't you have anything to say to me?" She looked up at him with watery eyes.

"Please Sean…let go…you're hurting me." His grip softened and he let his fingers run through her straightened hair. "Where am I?"

"An old nuthouse. I figured it was the best place to put some sense back into this empty head of yours." Lina could barely stop herself from spitting out a scathing reply. This was not the place to have a backbone.

"What are you talking about Sean?" He pulled away from her, stalking towards the end of the apparently long room. The wolves all moved out of their alpha's way, their eyes following back and forth. She could see her stuff in a pile at the end of the room.

"First you up and leave me. ME!" He turned on his heel, his eyes blazing at her from across the room. "Then you come here and have the audacity to live with four men when you were begging and crying for me to let you go live back with your family because you didn't like living with me. And then you date that Monster! I provided for you! I protected you! I turned myself into this" He swept his hands down his body dramatically. "And I did all of it to make you happy. Was it too much to ask that you fulfill your duties to me? I want pups." He pinned her against the dirty wall, chips of paint falling from the ceiling. The wall gave under the force of his hands slamming into it, his hands sinking into the wall. Rats were scurrying in the walls, angry squeaks at being disturbed.

"I never wanted any of that Sean…I just wanted a friend…I'm not ready to be a mate. I still want a life. I want to be a doctor. I want to see the world. I can't do that if I do what you want. You never asked me, you just decided for me." She could see his natural blues flickering under the monsters' eyes. He leaned closer to her, nuzzling against the side of her head. If she could just reason with Sean she could get to her stuff and get the fuck out of here.

"I know…but I can be good to you Lina. I can change. I can give you every part of myself. I can be devoted to you and you alone. I just want the same from you. My life will be your life, and your life will be mine." Lina wanted to cry. Hear was someone spilling out their eternal devotion to her and only her, and yet she could not feel more than despair and sympathy for him. If he was proclaiming this to any other woman she would scream at the girl to say yes and be with Sean. But she could not say yes. It would be a lie. This was too much! She needed someone whose life did not revolve around her!

"I don't want that…I want to be separate from you. You need your life, and I need mine." She felt the tear roll down her cheek and he snarled at her rejection. This was not how it was supposed to go! He was supposed to have her! She was supposed to love him! The two of them were going to leave this all behind and start a new life, a life without this bloodshed, a life without the pack, without the vampire. It was supposed to be just the two of them and their pups. That was how this had all worked out in his head. He felt her hand reach up and cup his cheek. Looking into her face he saw deep tearful hazel eyes boring into his, searching for something. "What happened to you Sean? This isn't you. Where is that nice Catholic boy I met? The one that planned on becoming a history teacher? This werewolf is destroying you Sean, and any hopes you had of a life. There is still time…let me help get rid of it. I want the real Sean back." Leaning in to brush his lips against hers Sean felt the beast rear it head back and howl with rage. His vision turned red and he could feel his body reacting with his anger, the beast was in control now. Screaming, all that he could hear was screaming, a large bang and a second slower thud. The screaming stopped. Slowly, so slowly his vision returned to normal. Everything was silent now, the others all casting their gazes between him and something at the base of the wall twenty feet to the right of him. There was a large portion of wall that was dented in. Looking down he felt his heart stop, Lina was in a crumpled heap, her hair spayed out around her face, and a trickle of blood escaping from a cut on her forehead. Her chest was not moving. He could not hear her breathing; he could barely hear her heartbeat. Sean felt sick, he could not have…no. He would not even think it.

"Outside…we need to get ready for Dracula."

End Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The numbered lines are quotes from Bram Stoker's Dracula. I could not resist. The Bible verses are from the King James version of the Bible.
> 
> I do not own Jareth the goblin king from the Labyrinth, but I still want to see Alucard in those tight pants. XD Sorry, that part of this chapter was purely a gift to me for V-day. Interesting challenge though, I will dedicate the next chapter to whoever draws me a picture from this chapter of Lina and Vlad together in their costumes.


	20. Effort

OxfordShire…Grounds of Hook Norton Asylum…11:32

Sean was rubbing his thumb against the cap on the plastic bottle in his pocket like a worry stone. He kept mentally repeating the ingredients he had forced an old homeless woman to mix for him. Very liberal helpings of liquid silver, pure garlic extract, and deadly nightshade were sprinkled with other magic herbs used to purify, banish evil, and to kill. The vampire may be dead already, but all of the ingredients had to have some effect on Dracula. After all the concoction had made Gerald wither into dust within five minutes. Sean's hand brushed across something, bringing it out of the depths of his pocket. A small, humble gold cross was hanging on his rosary. The Savior was staring at him with a sadness he could not describe. Sean's hand was trembling as he stared at the rosary. Slowly, so slowly he tucked the rosary into a safer pocket, he could not stand losing it. Confidence in this whole feverish plan was thin; Sean had not considered the possibility that Lina would reject him. Would choose to be alone than to share a life with him. Images of Lina in a heap at the base of the wall flashed before his eyes. What was he doing? This was all for not, this was all some horrible mistake, this was wrong. He had hurt her so badly, she could be…no, she was stronger than that, wasn't she?

Viciously shaking his head to clear it of these thoughts, Sean needed to be focused on killing his enemy. Dracula would probably take out most of the pack in the battle, but it would all be worth it. The beast kept putting energy into his body; he could feel his human form changing even more, his fangs growing larger. There was no longer a resemblance between his normal appearance and the massive creature he was now. Lifting his face towards the full moon he could feel some ancient, primal instinct beckoning him to serenade the celestial body, call up to her and gain her favor. Heartfelt howl after howl rose from the depths of his core, his wolves joining in the song, long deep howls punctuated by short yips. As reward for their affection to the moon they were showered with more of that compassionate light. Then a gloom blocked the moon. Looking at it carefully Sean felt a knot of fear in his stomach. It was a massive cloud that was covering the moon, and it was moving with unnatural speed toward them. All the pack began to cry out with a bestial savage anger to the swarm of bats that made up the cloud. Crimson, the moon was tainted blood red in the wake of the swarm. Suddenly the entire bat colony plunged head first into the ground. Bats began to spin as they committed to the death spiral with a horrible up cry of squeaks that drowned out any other sounds. As the first groups smashed headfirst into the ground instead of piling up as corpses they melted into darkness. Pitch black energy glowing scarlet, cracks of thunder ringing out from this terrible spectacle. The thunder turned to wails of eternal agony, the cries of blind rage, the sobbing of never ending loneliness, and the screams of the damned. It was the symphony of Hell. The wolves had to cover their ears, the sound attempting to penetrate and destroy their minds. The blackness started to take the form of a man, if one could use such a term to describe the thing after witnessing its arrival. That horrific hurricane of sound became louder, all of the noise fused together to become a malevolent cackle. The last of the bats combined with the writhing shadow mass to form the man in red. That knot of fear became a cataclysmic explosion; Sean could feel his human mind gladly surrendering to the wolf. Sean did not want to face this being alone.

"Miserable wolves. Which one of you overgrown fleabags is the Alpha." The man in reds' voice was filled with refined malicious intent. The hat shielded the man's face from their view. The ends of the trench coat swayed with an ice cold breeze. Sean stepped forward, snarling with as much courage as he could draw up. The man tilted his head, and Sean could feel eyes piercing into his soul even behind the glasses. "I expected you to be a much blonder wolf. No matter, by the end of this you'll be a dead wolf."

"Wrong! You'll be the one that's dead. I'm going to kill you Dracula!" Sean snarled at the man in red. The man smiled at him, a wickedly deceitful smile.

"So wolf, you figured out who I am." Vlad took a step towards the pack, watching with satisfaction as they all bared fangs and tensed their bodies for the assault. "Yet you and this rag tag group you call a pack still wish to engage me in combat. Then come at me. Come and slay me if you pathetic wolves can. You better hurry. Come at Me! Finish me off you worthless beasts!" Vlad tossed his arms out, exposing himself to whatever attacks were coming his way. Let these mongrels do their worst. It would only make it more satisfying when he slaughtered them.

Sean growled at his pack, all of their blood pounding through their veins in excitement and fear. This was a grand moment. The pack circled around Dracula, closing off any escape routes the vampire would have. Vlad scoffed, as if he would run from this. The pack already knew the plan. Pin Dracula so Sean could give the vampire the poison, and then when Dracula was weak, they would destroy the vampire. For what felt like hours but was truly only seconds no one moved, a sudden shift in one wolf's stance and suddenly they pounced upon the vampire, cries of war leaving their throats. Claws ripped into flesh. Cloth, blood, and limbs flying across the field as the wolves viciously shredded Dracula, their primal urges to tear their enemy asunder overwhelming them. The wolves that had mounted the attack stepped back as they looked around them laughing at how easy it had been to kill the vampire.

"The bastard must have wanted to die, he didn't fight back! What a joke! King of vampire my ass! More like king of the fucking fairies!" Sean was not so sure. There was no way it was this easy, it had to be harder than this. He doubt was well founded as the blood that soaked the fur of his overzealous pack members seemed to choke them, the various body parts strewn apart melting once more into that darkness and joining together to become Dracula once more.

"Try harder you fools! Come on, it takes much more than being ripped apart before you can kill me." Dracula was toying with them. Sean needed to get the poison into Dracula soon. Dracula rushed at the closest wolf, his hand plunging into the wolfs' chest and pushing the wolfs' heart out through his back. He grabbed another by the throat and kicked the wolfs' knees so hard that they made a sickening crunch, bone, blood, and small chunks of flesh littering the grass beneath. A pained cry rose from the wolf who was promptly tossed into his comrades like a rag doll. They swarmed him again, each trying to rip the vampire's head off or rip out his heart. Dracula grabbed one wolf in his teeth, chomping hard enough to that the head popped off the body like a cork in a wine bottle. Sean could not believe how easily the vampire could commit these horrendous acts, all the while giving that bone chilling Cheshire cat grin. One wolf rushed over to a large tree, heaving it up from the very roots and hurling it towards Dracula. Their blood run cold as Dracula caught the tree one handed, acting as if it weighed no more than a ball, bringing the tree down on the nearest wolfs' head. Vlad tore a branch off the tree, running his gloved hand along the branch to smooth it out. Bark, twigs, and leaves flew thru the air. Satisfied with the makeshift stake Vlad effortlessly flung it, impaling two wolves through the heart, their bodies writhing against each other as blood gushed forth in a fountain from their bodies.

Vlad allowed a genuine smile grace his face at the wonderfully familiar sight. It felt so good, so natural, and so fucking splendid to do that again. He should take his time with this; it would probably be ages before he could fight like this again. He needed to savor this battle. Pain…yes! One of the wolves had grasped him from behind and ripped his intestines out around his spine. Vlad would let this wolf have some fun. This one was the only one grinning with the same kind of blood lust Vlad felt.

Sean watched, his eyes narrowed as he waited for the right moment. Dracula could not be perfect. Dracula would make a mistake and then…Sean would do the dead, poison and then butcher the vampire. He could not allow Lina to be with this creature. She was too sweet, too pure. No matter what happened between her and him, Sean would not allow her to fall into this monsters' grasp.

* * *

Hook Norton Asylum…11:48 p.m.

The room was silent, the body breathing no more. The breathing had stopped two minutes ago, the heart slowed down to barely enough beats to keep fresh blood flowing to the brain. The crumpled heap at the base of the wall suddenly gasped for air, the body needing to fill its lung with air. Why was everything so black? Why did she feel so heavy? Why was her entire body throbbing in pain? Lina tried to open her eyes, the lids feeling just too heavy and giving up on that action for now. Something was wrong with her. That was obvious. Lina searched her memory for what happened to her. Sean had grabbed her and flung her into the wall. How long had she been passed out? Were Sean and the wolves still here? She tried to listen…there were sounds, but she could not make them out because there was a dull ringing in her ears. Those sounds were far away from her from what she could tell. Lina hissed as her head throbbed, feeling something warm, sticky, and damp that was pooling under her face. With a surge of energy she did not know she had Lina managed to open her eyes. It took her a few moments to adjust to the light available in the room. Something was definitely wrong with her vision, the light was red. Lina wanted to move her hair out of her face, hissing in pain and abandoning the attempt. Her spine was injured. An icy fear gripped her heart. What if she was paralyzed! In a panic she tried to move her legs, crying out in pain but relieved as the limbs moved. She rested, breathing faster than normal. She closed her eyes once more. She needed to let the pain pass before she could do anything else. She could feel the warm liquid on her forehead drying, a metallic smell slapping her in the face. Blood, she was bleeding. She could feel the gash on her forehead scabbing over already, jolts of agony wracking her prone form, making her writhe. Sobs ripped from her throat.

Lina had been as good as dead. She had been waiting for her body to die so her spirit could follow her spirit guide into the next world. She had already begun the process of crossing over when something had stopped her. She had been so ready. Her soul was so tired. She had been reincarnated so many times. She had been just a few heartbeats away from rest. Why was she still here?

Vlad's energy! That energy she had been bitching and whining about was saving her life. She could feel what remained of his energy in her body, slithering over her and inside of her. She had no idea if she was relieved that she was still alive or distraught. She could feel that energy in her body growing stronger. Why was it getting stronger? Samhain! The wild energy that connected this world with the next was being harnessed by Vlad's vampiric energy, and used to try and mend her body. She was going to kiss Vlad the next time she saw him, and she would stop caring about him wandering in her mind. Inadvertently Vlad had just saved her life. She wanted to laugh but the pain turned it into a gasping cry. She lay there, trying to concentrate her own energy to help Vlad's. She needed to get up and get moving. Who knew when Sean or one of those other wolves would be back? As if understanding her urgency the energy wrapped itself around her spine, creating an internal brace as it mended the injuries. With shaking, trembling hands she pushed herself onto her hands and knees, her eyes looking around the room to try and find her stuff.

She tried to block out the pain as she moved towards her stuff at the front of the room, not too far away from the metal door. Lina only crawled ten feet to her bag and was already panting with the effort. As gently as she could manage she rested herself against the wall. Her hands went into her bag and she pulled out the water bottle, taking an unladylike swig of the still cold liquid. Grabbing a clean piece of fabric from her bag Lina wiped as much of the blood as she could from her face. The cut was still painful, and still bleeding. She needed to bandage it up. Reaching back into her bag she pulled out a length of red string. Hopefully it would be long enough. The cloth she used to wipe her face was folded a few times, Lina pressing it against the cut as she used the red string to tie it down. Hopefully that would soak up any more of the blood so it would stay out of her face. Lina's head was spinning with the blood loss. It may not be more than a few tablespoons of blood, but she was sensitive to blood loss. It did not help that she could smell her own blood still on her face. She needed to get away from here and to a hospital. For all she knew she could be bleeding internally. Lina felt herself starting to drift to sleep again, forcing herself to stay awake. If she fell asleep now she could fall into a coma. Gingerly put the fedora on, Lina felt an instant jolt of electricity through her body. Using the wall as a brace Lina stood to her feet and pulled the leather jacket on. As she pulled the leather jacket on she realized just how cold she had been, warmth seeping through her icy cold skin and warming her. The warmth made it easier for her to move her body. The energy in her body grew stronger, healing her body faster and faster. It must be getting closer and closer to midnight. Reaching down Lina slipped the satchel back over her shoulder and then put her belt and weapons back into place. She was dressed as Indiana Jones; she may as well act like the action hero. Taking a deep breath Lina straightened her back and squared her shoulders. She brushed the pain off as best she could and pulled out the gun, smiling that it was still loaded.

Going to the door she flattened herself to the wall and gave the handle a tug. With an audible groan the aged hinges moved, the door opening much too slowly to put Lina at ease. She racked her brain for any memory of where exactly she was. Sean had said an old nut house. If Lina had any color in her face it would have drained. That jerk put her in an Asylum! On Halloween! She silently prayed to her gods that this was one of the few un-haunted asylums. Considering the fact England is one of the most haunted countries in the world, the odds were not in her favor. Lina was in no condition to fight against a ghost right now, let alone anything else that might pop up. Her hand tightened its grasp on the handle of the pistol, her other hand darting into the satchel to try and find the small protection pouch she had prepared. Hopefully the dried plants would be enough of a deterrent. Using the long strings she tied a makeshift necklace around her throat. It was not helping her nerves that all the light was tinted red, it made everything look like some cheap horror movie. And the girl always dies at the end of those. Crap.

"Sean…I'm going to stuff your head up your own ass for this." Her voice echoed off the walls back to her, sending terrifying shivers down her spine. The ringing in her ears stopped, and the eerie silence punctuated by peeling paint chips hitting the floor made her wish she had packed a flashlight. "Come on Lina, you went through a monster infested dungeon, you have survived being beaten up by both a werewolf and a vampire, and your past lives went through way worse crap than this. So stop being a wimp and get going." Her voice had much more courage than she felt. Maybe she could call on her past lives? Sha would be best for this, but Lina could not trust her to give control of her body back. Sandra was definitely not an action hero, just a book worm. Going down the list of names she kept finding problems with each of her past lives. The only one that could do this was her. Squaring her shoulders Lina moved into the hallway, stomping down the nagging in her mind about moving shadows. Shadows were the least of her concern should the wolves come back. The hallway before her was lined on one side by windows, the other by doors. A door at the end of the hallway was ajar. There were no friendly spirits here to ask for guidance. Any spirits that were still in the building would probably be the inmates, and they would take pleasure in playing with her mind. Flattening herself to the wall gently she moved along the windowed wall, her pistol gripped in one hand and the other fiddling with the bullwhip. Lina really should have practiced with it. Chancing a glace out the window she cursed when she found it was two stories. Better find a staircase and jump out the first window on the ground floor.

With each step movement got easier. Vlad's energy healing her body faster and Lina would never have guessed she had been tossed into a wall if it was not for the memory. She could even feel the cut on her forehead closing. As much as she would love to not be in agony, she could find enough adrenaline to get out. She needed to get out and get out now. Lina diverted the energy away from the injury on her head and from the better part of her spine to search out the building for her way out. She reached the end of the hallway and nearly groaned as she found more windows and doors. No stairwell. Footsteps seemed to be approaching her from the hallway around the other corner. Unlocking the safety Lina aimed the gun a few inches away from where a body would be when it turned the corner, the footsteps getting louder and louder. The footsteps turned the corner, nobody was there, but yet the steps got closer. Lina fired her gun, her ears ringing again and the smell of powder in her nose. She narrowly missed getting bitten by the gun slide. The bullet whizzed through the air and embedded itself into the far wall. The footsteps stopped abruptly. Hopefully that warning would deter other spirits from coming over to try and spooky her. She was armed, she was paranoid, and she would shoot at random. She moved further down the hallway, there was bound to be a staircase at the end of this one.

* * *

Asylum grounds…Midnight

Sean charged at the three headed dog, howling with pure bloodlust. Sean's human mind gone, slash marks across his chest and he was driven by pure animal instinct to kill the enemy. The pack was down. The remains of the vanquished wolves littered the ground around them. It was a literal blood bath. The grass stained red, the dirt turning to mud as it absorbed gallons of blood. Sean grasped one of the dog head around its throat and snapped the neck, diving in to sink his own set of fangs into the monster dogs' jugular, thrashing his head back and forth, tasting blood and jumping away before the white gloved hand could protrude from the third mouth and grasp him. Dracula had shifted his shape into the monstrous three headed hell hound. Some of the corpses strewn about the battle field had multiple large bullet holes going through the head and heart; others were impaled on the branches of the fallen tree. With a howl he pounced on Dracula, Sean grabbing the bottle in his pocket and opening it. Sean shoved the open bottle down one of the hell hounds throats, his arm barely pulled back as the shark jaws shut with bone shattering force on the unlucky leg of a fellow wolf that had been in the way.

Vlad went still as the bottle was thrust down his throat and the liquid spilled inside him. At first there was just the sensation of liquid spilling down his throat, followed quickly by a burning sensation that Vlad had not felt since Van Helsing had defeated him. It was agony. Vlad had felt pain, he even craved it, but this was crippling. Vlad felt the need to vomit; he needed to get rid of whatever it was that he was forced to swallow. Vlad jumped away from the fight, his form changing from his hellhound to his own body. He spat out the bottle, tossing it away violently. Vlad would have to end his game quickly, the wolves needed to die so he could fix what was wrong with him. Pulling out his guns Vlad shot each wolf as they pounced on him, blasting the bodies to bits. The satisfying rain of gore did nothing for Vlad now, focusing on finishing his enemies. He would not show weakness.

Sean smirked, the vampire had changed tactics. The poison must be working. Sean only felt a slight pinch of sympathy for the last of his wolves, watching numbly as the vampire blew them to smithereens. Sean needed them gone if he planned on starting a fresh life with Lina. The vampire turned, two sets of red eyes meeting over the bloody field. Slowly they approached each other, circling around each other. Sean snarled, baring his fangs and readying his claws to rip the vampire to shreds. Dracula just stood there, dignified steps keeping pace with Sean's.

"Enough games boy. I've slain your pack. I'll give you points for being brave enough to face me, but you are never going to be enough to defeat me. Now boy, apologize for what you did to my coffin and I'll give you a shred of dignity when you die." Red hot anger coursed through Sean's veins as Dracula called him boy.

"I will be enough to defeat you. I have to be enough." Sean let his thoughts drift to Lina in the asylum; he would need to get her to a hospital. "I will save Lina from your evil grasp and we'll start our life together after I scatter your ashes over a dumpster." Sean could see the way the vampire narrowed his gaze, piercing him with those burning eyes.

"This has nothing to do with weakling. She made her mistake dating you and she should be the one dealing with it. I'm here to avenge my coffin boy. You touched something you weren't even worthy enough to look at. I am a King!" The vampire broke the circle and took an imposing step forward. "What are you? Some love sick puppy that decided to piss me off instead of manning up and facing me head on, you worthless piece of shit." Sean's eyes widened with disbelief. Here Sean was fighting for Lina, and this corpse was concerned with a wooden box.

"You don't care about Lina. You came here and killed my pack over a box, while we are giving our lives to save Lina from you." Sean felt his claws flex as his anger grew. How dare this vampire call his mate weak! "Do you even care that we took her? Did you even notice she was missing? Do you care that she could be dying as we speak?"

"What are you talking about?" Vlad didn't know if the color drained out of his face from what the werewolf said or if the poison he drank earlier was weakening him further. He ran through the memories of the wolves he drank from. Images flashed through his mind. Lina was in his yard, behind the tree just like he had known she was. Vlad could see himself giving chase to the wolves. Lina was turning to look out into the yard. A hand covered her mouth with a chloroform laced cloth. She was carried to the asylum and he watched the argument between Lina and Sean, watching as she was tossed into the wall, the blood trickling from her head. "You killed her. You went through all of this and you tossed her into a wall and left her for dead. You truly are no more than a boy." Vlad felt a twinge of sadness. Of all the ways for Lina to die, he had hoped it would be something better than being tossed like a rag doll.

"Shut your mouth! I love her! You are a heartless monster that's using her! You didn't even care about her till I reminded you she existed!" Sean was losing it, how dare this bastard talk like he knew him.

"Heartless yes, using her, think again boy. If anything she used me to satisfy some psychotic fanaticism she had." Vlad stepped closer to Sean; he needed to cut the chatter short. Agony bubbled in his throat and stomach, and he felt the damn liquid seeping into his bloodstream. "You killing her has given me an extra reason to enjoy your death." In a flash both men charged headlong into each other, two blurs of color bashing together before jumping away circling and charging once more. Red met grey as they punched, kicked, bit, and attempted to gore the other. Vlad felt his vision tilt. The sudden distortion in Vlad's perfect vision gave Sean the window of opportunity to thrust his claws into Vlad's' chest. This was not good. With a brutal war cry Vlad grabbed Sean's arm, breaking the limb in three places. Jagged white bone fragments jutted out from under Sean's thick fur and muscles. Sean was too wrapped up in bloodlust to comprehend the pain.

Vlad felt his strength fading quickly, his face distorted with rage and laced minutely with agony. They parted once more, Vlad holding himself proudly even as he bled out from the gaping wound in his chest. Sean ignored his ruined arm completely, practically foaming at the mouth as he howled. Vlad kept his composure, needing to focus on killing Sean. It would not do Vlad any good to get lost in bloodlust. The poison seemed to be absorbing faster as Vlad used his powers. He would not get the satisfaction of making this wolf pay. A chill traveled down Vlad's spine, he might actually be killed tonight. Part of Vlad sighed in relief at the thought of finally succumbing to death, but a louder part of him, not necessarily a bigger part, just a louder one was screaming insults at him. Vlad had never been one to give up; he had faced far greater foes than this pathetic wolf. If Vlad allowed himself to die at this boy's hands he would be throwing away everything he had earned through centuries of labor. No, he was not going to let some punk kill him!

Sean charged once more, ready to rip Vlad's head off. This was it, he was about to win. Then he heard a scream followed by the blaring sound of gunfire. Lina! Sean darted a quick glance towards the main building that seemed so far away. It was a second too long. The werewolf spirit was livid. They had been so close! They were about to kill Dracula! And that stupid girl had distracted them! Sean cried out as a sharp stabbing pain passed through him. He did not need to look down to know that his chest had been ripped open. A gloved hand wrapped around his throat, squeezing hard enough to crush his windpipe. Sean looked up into Dracula's face, feeling fear sink into him. This was no man, no vampire; this man in red was the devil himself.

"God save me." A malicious grin grew over the man in red's lips.

**"God can't hear you boy."**

* * *

Hook Norton Asylum…November 1…12:30 a.m.

This was not happening! This was not happening! Lina ran down the hallway, narrowly avoiding being hit as the door to one of the cells flung open. The insane spirits were tormenting her. She could barely keep them out of her mind. The flashed horrific images and reached out with ghostly hands, attacking her. She had been trapped on the second floor for at least ten minutes, probably closer to twenty. Of all nights for her to leave her cell phone at home! She couldn't find the stairs! Every where Lina looked she could only see the disfigured faces, the expressions full of rage, agony, sorrow, and malevolent sneers. Shadows darted back forth; one of the more active spirits had even tried to hurl a metal table at her. She had no safe place to hid, and the only escape routes she had would only injury her further. There was only so much of this her mind could handle! She was going to lose her sanity if she could not get out of here!

She passed what looked like a boarded up hallway. Pulling her gun out she fired at will, the wood splintering as the bullets passed through it. She frantically switched to a full magazine, tears raining down her cheeks. A loud unearthly screeching sound erupts from behind the boarded up space. The floating head was screaming at her, trying to drive her mad. Lina emptied the magazine into the head, the thing dissipating like mist. Looking past the boards she felt hope rise up in her chest. Stairs! Lina began to kick away at the wooden planks impeding her route to freedom. Those exercises in martial arts where she broke boards was coming in handy now, and the thick sole of the boots cushioned her from the potential splinters. She ducked into the space as the metal table went flying down the hallway towards where she had been standing, making a terrifying commotion as it hit something. Lina was surprised at how quickly she was able to dash down the stairs without tripping. The first floor was not any better than second, it was worse. The windows were boarded up!

"Fuck!" Lina pushed against the window as hard as she could, the wooden boards were much stronger down here. "Fucking piece of shit!" The noises from upstairs seemed to be following her. Abandon the window and just head for the door! She ran through the corridors, which way was the fucking exit! It looked like she was in the administration part of the building, so the front door had to be around here somewhere right? The room was almost pitch black, giving the spirits a perfect projection screen for their little mind game. A gentle tugging sensation in her mind directed her through the spirits to the left. It was the bit of Vlad's energy she had sent out to look for an escape. She moved to follow it, her pain numbed by her terror. Something cold smacked her, sending her tumbling forward towards what looked like rusty metal. She crossed her arms, bracing for the pain of metal cutting into her flesh, instead grunting as she hit the floor. Stupid illusions! She quickly crawled away on her hands and knees. Her gun was somewhere on the floor. Lina looked around for the weapon. The scent coming from the herbs hung around her neck was her defense against the spirits attempts to fully breech her mind.

Indignation rose in her at this. She was crawling around and crying because of some stupid ghosts! She was dating Dracula for fucks sake! If she could bash his head hard enough for it to bleed she could take on some ectoplasm! Getting to her feet Lina unclipped the bullwhip from her side and let it unravel. She had never practiced with the whip, but hopefully YouTube videos would be good enough for now. Okay, first, protective clothing. Check. Next…make sure the whip is not curled around you. She tossed it out as straight as she could behind her. A shadow was approaching her. Hopefully the concoction she rubbed on the tip would be more effective than the expensive bullets. Aiming it as best she could Lina felt a jolt of exhilaration when the whip flew past her. Jerking her wrist back ever so slightly made the loud cracking sound, and despite the situation a grin was on her lips. It felt so good to get it right the first time. The shadows seemed to back off. Setting back up she let it roll again, hissing as this time the whip snapped against her back. Thank god for the leather jacket. That was going to be one hell of a bruise. The energy pulled at her to follow. Escape was more important than role playing as Indy. But first she needed her gun. She did not spend all that money and time to lose it in this dump. A glint of metal! Dashing toward it she let herself skid on the floor, narrowly missing the shadow that darted above her head. The screaming head was coming back. Lina could sense it. With an over dramatic flourish she rolled, grabbed the gun and darted out of the room. On the heel of her boot she made a sharp right; almost able to see the glowing red energy that was leading her out. Running through the hallway she found herself in the main lobby and the door was straight ahead. The red energy focused on the heavy lock that held the door shut. Why the fuck would anyone lock an abandoned asylum!

Pulling her gun out she aimed, firing four rounds and grinning as the lock dropped to the floor with a clatter. The red energy seemed to float back to her and she could feel it soaking back into her flesh, wrapping once more around her spine. She walked to the exit, her gun out and the whip at the ready. There was no way it was going to be this easy. After all this she could just walk out the front door. As she stepped over the threshold she sprinted away from the door. Home free…unless Sean was still around. Looking over her shoulder Lina shivered as the doors slammed shut behind her, that screaming head still haunting her vision. She clambered up the hill. Before the crest of the hill she sat down, looking over the building and the quiet grass surrounding her. If she didn't have the pain she would have thought it had been one of those awful realistic nightmares she had at least three times a month. She started to cry, putting her head in her hands, her fedora falling off. She put the gun and whip back in their proper places, unwrapping the pouch from her neck and tossing it down toward the building. Laying back on the grass Lina looked up towards the moon. All the light was back to normal, instead of the violent red it was back to the pale blue. Offering up a silent prayer of thanks Lina closed her eyes. A smile crossed her lips.

"I am way more awesome than I give myself credit for." The smile turned into a grin, and a giggling sound escaped her throat. Giggles turned to chuckles, chuckles turned into laughter. Her laughter grew stronger and stronger, echoing off the hills around her, as if the fey had decided they wanted to join in with her mirth. Samhain was over, and she could feel all the freed energy returning to normal levels in the world around her. Unfortunately what little was left of Alucard's energy was used up. At least it had healed the major problem. Lina was laughing so loud she never heard the footsteps on the dewy grass as someone approached her.

"You're alive?" Looking up Lina felt her heart flutter, Alucard was standing above her, his eyes glowing in the night. She smiled up at him, her hazel eyes shining with joy.

"Yeah…did you come here to save me?" She prayed not. She did not want everything to revolve around her. Alucard shook his head, looking out over the grounds. She followed his gaze and saw the flashing lights of the Hellsing vehicles as they rushed toward them. Thank the gods.

"No. I wanted to repay them for my coffin. I should have guessed that they would take you though." Lina slowly pushed herself up, wincing and whimpering in pain. "The wolves thought you were dead." Alucard did not offer his hand to her, his head was clouding over as the toxin took effect. He was barely able to stand as it was. Her added weight would pull him down.

"I was…" She gave up and lay back down. "…even if you didn't mean to you saved my life tonight. Thank you." She waited for his to say some snarky comment, or to insult her. Instead she heard him hiss in pain and collapse to his knees next to her. Lina quickly ignored her own pain, helping push Alucard onto his back, avoiding getting too close to his mouth. "Vlad! Are you okay!"

Vlad felt his vision growing dark and his body was burning. His throat was burning and he couldn't respond to Lina's worried questions. He didn't resist as he was pushed onto his back. Alucard had not felt a pain like this since Van Helsing defeated him. The burning was intensifying, his head pounding as a headache consumed his thoughts and his nerve endings felt as if they were being flayed. He was losing consciousness. The only thing he could still see clearly was the moon shining above him. It was the last thing he saw as he closed his eyes, falling into blackness.

* * *

Dungeons of Hellsing Manor…December 24 1897

"Tell me. Do you have regrets? Have you ever felt human emotion in your long existence?" Van Helsing asked from a chair. Vlad tried to pull against the chains, hissing as the metal burned his skin. How dare this senile human speak to him in such a manner. Was it not enough for this human to strip Vlad of every possession, did he have to lose his dignity as well. Vlad kept silent. The doctor wrote something down in the journal. The 'good' doctor had decided to start a journal to record Vlad's personality, mentality, and history. "At least tell me this much Lord Dracula," Vlad barely lifted his head toward the doctor at the mention of his title. "Were you ever human?" Vlad snorted at the question, drawing himself up as much as possible with the chains lashing his body to the slab. A large incision had been made down the center of his chest, metal clamps in place to expose his innards, his ribs forcefully separated. The pain was excruciating. Van Helsing had been studying his heart, and how he could live without a pulse. Six hours of the old fool tinkering around inside his chest. Revenge would be swift for this humiliation.

"Of course I was." The doctor wrote something else. The sound of the pen scraping the paper was like nails on a chalkboard. "Why are you doing this to me? Just kill me. You would be doing us both a favor. The longer you keep me alive the more opportunities I have to kill you…and the others." Abraham stopped writing, starring with ice blue eyes into crimson red embers.

"How is me killing you a favor for your benefit Dracula? Are you not afraid of death? Is that not why you became a vampire to begin with?" The pause was pregnant with the old man's accusation.

"If you kill me now I will die. I have wanted to die for centuries. I cannot die. If you do not kill me now I will only grow stronger." There was agelessness to his voice. He needed to rest, to finally move on. Living for so long was taxing on one's' mind. He could feel his soul growing weary. The eternal fires of hell would be welcome relief to the constant wakefulness. "The stronger I grow the fewer foes I have that can defeat me. It is torment to be a war mongered with no one to play with." Vlad licked his lips, remembering the thrill of his former battles. That pen was scribbling away on the paper. "The thrill of battle is in the possibility of defeat, the possibility of death." With a shaky breath, one that betrayed his age, Vlad continued. "When you can no longer fear death…no longer fear defeat. It is hell. I can kill over and over; drink my fill and more, but that desire for the thrill is still there, never being satisfied. Instead that need grows. It is like being on the brink of pleasure but never reaching it. A pleasure within your grasp, but unattainable. You know what I mean, do you not Doctor?" That pen stopped writing. The blue eyes were boring into his. How delicious, the old man does not fear him.

"So you wish to die because you fear you will become a true immortal?" Van Helsing was avoiding the question.

"Yes doctor. I fear never dying. Death will be the ultimate pleasure. The release of my soul." Vlad licked his lips, his throat was dry, and his stomach was growling with hunger. He had not eaten in weeks. White locks of hair framed his face, his skin was wrinkled, and his nails were growing. He was aging again; he would turn back into that shriveled up being Harker had first met. "Why do you insist on keeping me alive Doctor? What are you hoping?" He cast his mind out, trying to read the old man's. The image of a woman popped up. Mrs. Van Helsing. "Do you think that by studying me you can restore her mind? That if you unlock my secret of keeping sanity after so many centuries you can bring your wife's mind back. Tell me Dr. Van Helsing? If you get your wife back what will you do? Have you missed a woman's touch so much?" He read the old man's mind once more, a wedding in a Catholic church, services, baptisms, and a funeral. "A devout Catholic are you? You know she is dead to you. She will never know you have cheated her. The church does what is best for it. Do you think they comforted me with my wives? No." He could taste Van Helsing growing rage. Yes, just a bit more and the old man would do the deed. "Kill her and be free. Or…I could do it. Send her to me. I will make it painless. I am not so cruel to the weaker sex. A quick kiss and she will be your problem no longer. Consider it an exchange of favors. I get rid of your no-wife and you rid me of my no-life?" The fingers holding the journal tightened. Yes! "Do you know why I feed from woman so often? It is an ecstasy for me…and for them. Send her to me, it will be her who cheats you first, and then you can justify yourself to the world. And insane wife wanders down into the dungeon, sleeps with an inmate and the inmate kills her. There would be no blood on your hands. Think about it Abraham." Vlad planted the images of the woman in his arms as his teeth and more sank into the flesh. Vlad felt the impact as the old man punched him with an unwavering force. Yes! Anger!

"Stay from my mind! I command you demon! Stay from my mind!" Three, four more punches rained down on his face. Vlad heard the sound of his jaw coming unhinged. The fifth punch never came, the old man taking a steadying breath before composing himself once more. Curses! Van Helsing stalked around the room, muttering in German to himself. Calm once more Van Helsing returned and began to write once more. With a groan Vlad settled himself back on the slab. "Speak not of my wife. She is my matter, none of yours. I do love my wife. You have never loved anyone but yourself, maybe not even yourself. You could not understand love either. Love keeps her on my mind constantly, and I could never bring myself to betray her. Even if she is not herself, she is still my wife. In sickness and in health, for rich or for pour, for better or for worse. I will be loyal till I die." The two men stayed silent for a long time. Both men reflected on what had just transpired between them, and both dwelling on the offer that was still floating through the room. With a tired sigh Van Helsing pinched the bridge of his nose. "I shall leave you Count. Perhaps tomorrow will yield more. Good day." With a groan Van Helsing stood from the chair. Vlad could see the age in the man's face. Van Helsing closed the journal and moved to the door, the ring of keys dangling in the pocket.

"You are right. I have never loved. I hate everything, especially myself." Van Helsing seemed to nod in agreement, the click of boots on the stone floor announcing the coming isolation. "But I was loved." The words escaped Vlad's mouth before his mind could stop them. The retreating footsteps stopped, but yet the blonde man did not turn to look back. "She was loyal till the day she last drew breath." Van Helsing turned his head just enough to hear but not look. "She is my regret." Abraham walked over once more, pulling his chair closer and opening the notebook once more, jotting something down.

"How can you regret being loved?" This was no longer a doctor prying into a patient's mind. It was a human being trying to genuinely connect with what was left of him.

"You would need to hear the whole story to understand." Vlad was hesitant to talk about this, how could he tell a story he did not remember? "I don't even know the story. It is a memory locked deep away in my mind. I wish I remember who she was." There was a shuffling sound of fabric. That obnoxious red trench coat was hung up on the wall, the old man loosening his cravat.

"What do you mean? Can you not recall your memories?" Icy blues softened somewhat.

"Not the ones from my human life. From the night I woke up a vampire I can recall, but what came before I woke up in that grave is but figments of color and sound." The pen scratched against the paper. "I do not know where to start. I know who I was. I could recount the tales of my brutality. But the memories are like puzzle pieces, none of them are in order, and none of them make sense."

"Tell me the pieces and we can build the puzzle together. Maybe we can discover the reason for your madness." There was honest interest in the older man's voice.

* * *

Sultan's Palace…1448

"Vlad…psst…Vlad…Prince Vlad…Wake up…Wake up…" A soft feminine voice was calling out to him. It was not the woman he had slept with. His lovers knew to leave him once he slept. Turning away from the voice he settled back into the softness of his sheets. There was a rustling sound accompanied by an 'oomph' as something came into his room from the window. Leaping from his bed he drew his sword and instinctively moved to attack the intruder. The intruder almost screamed but stifled the sound instantly. Raising his sword above his head he was ready to bring it down on the person's' head when he caught the scent of sage and sweet violets. Princess Setareh. He lowered his sword and looked at the curled up body. She was wearing her night clothes, the plain white linen gown splayed out around her. Her brown hair was down to her waist, the curls catching moonlight. Her face was turned from him, her arms over her head to protect her from the blow she knew was coming. Vlad rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking out to see the bow shaped moon, the curved sliver in the sky providing very little light. But he was so used to the dark it barely bothered him. He cleared his throat, letting a playful smile cross his lips. The princess was one of the few people he liked. Their friendship was rocky, but she was loyal. He valued that.

"Princess…You have my attention." She peaked out from behind the shield of her arms, gasping and turning away, quiet giggles caressing his ears. "What are you laughing at Setareh?"

"You are not dressed." Glancing down Vlad realized he was indeed nude. Squaring his shoulders he smirked.

"This is my bedroom. I see no reason to wear clothes when I sleep. You are the one that has entered in the middle of the night. Do not expect me to make special arrangements just because you have the manners of a dog." She turned her back to him and stood up, keeping her back turned to him. "Now, what is so important that you needed to wake me up?" He watched her square her own shoulders, her head held high, but still a good three heads shorter than him.

"I will only tell if you put something on. Trust me, this is worth the hassle." This was not the first time the princess had snuck into his room in the night, just the first where she had not come crying with nightmares or trying to hide from the guards. He was surprised that her personal guard even let her do this. The princess had grown very pretty for a heathen; at fifteen she was bright and smiling, and she blushed constantly around him. Vlad knew very well that the princess had feelings for him. If the way she would constantly try and be close to him, the shy smiles and side long looks, and the flashes of pain as he pulled one of the court 'ladies' aside were anything to go on. He felt a small twinge of sympathy for the girl; he had used her willingness to help him to get her into some very dangerous situations. He moved to grab some pants, pulling them on and loosely belting them, sheathing his sword as well.

"I am dressed. Now tell me what could not wait till morning." She turned and practically skipped towards him. He could see the princess casting a glance at his chest before moving up to his eyes. She looked around his room, as if checking to make sure they were truly alone. They had been tricked before. "We are alone girl. Now hurry and tell me." She leaned up towards him, his head bending to meet hers.

"You can get your throne back." A wave of shock, disbelief, and hope rode through him. "Sultan Murad wants to put someone in your fathers' seat since he and your brother Mircea were murdered. His choice is between you and Radu, and others from your lands that pledge loyalty in exchange for power. I might be able to keep Radu occupied in the mosque after the Morning Prayer so you can have a few moments alone with Sultan." Vlad felt like kissing her. His mind started to work quickly, running through the politics of what such an arrangement would mean. She stood there expectantly, waiting for his response. "If you can earn the Sultan's trust you can leave this place." The mix of glee and disappointment did not escape him.

"This was well worth the hassle. What do you want in return if you do me such a favor?" Vlad kept close to her ear, his breath brushing her skin. Setareh's innocent eyes blinked up at him owlishly as she took a frightened step backwards from him. That's right. Another few years and she would be married off. For some reason that thought made him uncomfortable.

"You have saved me from trouble more times than I can count." Vlad did not bring up the point that she had usually been in trouble for him. She wandered over to the window, peaking down to check that her escape route was still clear. "You have taught me how to use a sword. And you have been my friend for years." He watched her worry her bottom lip as she stood at his window, stars behind her. A breeze passed through, playing with strands of hair and the hem of her night dress. "Consider it my goodbye. Mother and I are going to leave to rejoin with our family in the East come month's end. I will hopefully never return here. If I get to leave, it only seems fair you get a chance to do the same."

"Why will you not return?" He stayed in the shadows of his room. Maybe she was being married early. That did not sit well with him.

"Mother and Father have divorced. He was unfaithful to her. It terminated the marriage." That was why she had been so scarce lately. She had been busy helping her mother. "I do not look forward to joining my family. They are bad enough the time I do see them. I do not look forward to being with them constantly and listening to them remind my mother of her mistake." The news she was going back because of her parents and not for her own wedding made him smile.

"I need an hour." Setareh shook her head.

"I can get you ten, twenty minutes at most. Radu has known for a while about this, and will suspect you of sending me if I keep him too long." His little princess came in handy. She could gather information without being suspected. But they did suspect her when she did tasks for him. Had he just called her 'his' princess? It must be the time of night, or the circumstances of her in his room that were making Vlad think that way.

"Then it will have to be enough." Vlad waved a hand in her direction dismissively. He needed to plan carefully. She carefully began to try and climb out his window, gripping the railing as she started to lower herself. Vlad was there grabbing her hand before she lost her grip and fell. Slowly he helped lower her till her guard was able to grasp her and let go. With a quick wave she and her guard were gone, darting through the palace back to her own quarters.

* * *

"Do you know the people who you named? Or are they just names?" Vlad thought over Van Helsing's questions.

"Just names. I know the emotions I'm suppose to feel towards the names, but I cannot feel them. I could care less about Radu. He was my betrayer of a brother. But Setareh…That name confuses me. I know that it means 'star'. But the girl I am confused about. I am supposed to feel angry with her, friendship towards her, and all these other emotions. I feel regret about her, but I do not know why."

"Did you love her?" Vlad thought it over, shrugging carelessly. "Maybe you wanted to. You mentioned that you did not want her to be getting married. Maybe you wanted to love her but you could not." Vlad shrugged once more, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Do you have any other memories?" Vlad closed his eyes, sleep coming for him. Dawn must be approaching. "You said she was loyal till she died. Do you remember how she died?" Vlad tried to think, tried to recall. All he met was a wave of self-loathing.

"If I do I cannot recall." Vlad rolled his neck, his skin slowly mending together as his bones mended. Van Helsing had taken those metal clamps out when it had distracted him to much from the story.

"Why did you go after Mina?" Vlad perked his head up at the mention of Mina.

"I want her. She would be a wonderful No Life Queen." He licked his lips, remembering the way Mina tasted on his tongue. "She is like honey. Her blood was so sweet, and she is just so giving. I know her better than her husband can ever hope to." Van Helsing punched him in the ribs, wringing a hiss of pain.

"Mina is pure. Do not claim to know her." Vlad let a dark laugh escape him, blood dripping from his split lip. His tongue flicked out to collect the ruby droplet.

"I knew her before Harker did. And I do mean in the biblical sense. How else would she know where to go and collect him? She was delectable. Every inch of her." Vlad could hear the old man grinding his teeth.

"Why do you want Mina?" With a heartless chuckle Vlad invaded Abraham's mind, prying out the line of questioning. "Demon! I have warned you once! Stay from my mind!" A firm punch was delivered to the burnt skin.

"Mina is Elisabeta. The reincarnation of my wife." Vlad rolled his neck, listening as the vertebrae cracked back into place. "The woman I lost and the church would not redeem." He waited for the next blow to fall. None came. "I can here to build my kingdom. She was a distraction. A beautiful, pleasurable distraction." Now the punch came.

"Do not speak of her in such a manner." Vlad could see Van Helsing chewing over that juicy tidbit of information. "You were pleasant for a few moments."

"You brought Mina up. Is it my fault you did not like what I had to say?" Van Helsing sat once more in the chair, jotting some more notes. What could he have possibly done in the past few minutes that warranted so much writing?

"Is this as far as you wish to go tonight?"

"Unless you can find a way to get deeper into my memories, it will be." Van Helsing seemed to think on it for a moment, walking off to one of the tables in the room and retrieving something. When the doctor came back he held out a gold pocket watch, the hands ticking steadily. "Are you planning on hypnotizing me?" Vlad asked incredulously. As if that simple trick would work on him.

"Yes. I will not be as proud as to think I can hypnotize you, but perhaps you can hypnotize yourself." Vlad thought about it for a moment, it was indeed worth the shot. If nothing else he could consider it a humorous break to his current lifestyle. Van Helsing started to sway the gold chain, the watch moving. Vlad lazily let his eyes follow it.

"I am getting very tired." His voice was full of sarcasm. The harder he stared at the watch the less tense he became. Was it capable for him to hypnotize himself? The sun must be coming over the horizon, Vlad's lids feeling heavy. "I will fall asleep on the count of three. Once I sleep I will remember my old life, my human life." Did he really want to revisit those memories? "One…" The sunlight above must be bathing the sky in gold. "Two…" His body was so tired. It might take him a day or two to recover from Helsing's little experiment. "Three…" Vlad closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. His chest did not rise and fall. He was dead, what did he need with air.

* * *

Hellsing Dungeons…November 4…5:52 p.m.

"Miss…You really should get some rest. I will wake you once he comes too. Your own injuries need to be taken care of." Walter spoke softly to Miss khayam. She was kneeling next to Vlad's coffin, dabbing the sweat from the vampire's forehead in his fitful sleep. They were in one of the 'nicer' dungeon rooms. Miss Khayam had not left the vampire's side for longer than a few hours at a time. She left to wash, eat, and attend her classes. Other than that she could be found here in the room watching over Vlad. The doctors had to come and examine her here, giving her pain killers for the injuries she sustained. They did not understand how she could have suffered so much damage and yet have such minimal injuries. The doctors had no idea how to tend to Vlad, but somehow Lina just knew, like the knowledge was part of her being. With the sweat wiped off Lina slowly got back up and moved to Walter. She swiped the dirt off the knees of her pants. Vlad's coffin was surrounded by dirt. Walter brought her the packets of blood for Vlad in an ice chest, setting it down near the coffin.

"No thanks Walter, just a nice cot and some warm blankets again. Don't suppose you got some fluffier pillows?" Walter nodded.

"I'll see what I can do Miss. Will you be coming up for dinner?" A smile crossed her lips as she nodded. "What would you like?" She shrugged.

"Whatever is easier for the kitchen staff." Walter looked over to the sleeping vampire. It was troublesome to see the creature so helpless. If it was not for the random twitches and the sweating Walter would believe Vlad truly dead.

"It is fine Miss. No trouble at all."

"Could I have some chicken and pesto pasta?" Walter smiled and bowed.

"It should be ready when you come up for dinner Miss." Walter left her alone before ascending the stairs back to the kitchen. Lina sighed as Walter left, going over to the coffin and resting herself against the wood. Her back was throbbing in pain. If she did not feel so guilty about his current condition she would follow Walter's advice. Vlad had been like this for three days straight. When he had fallen next to her on the field her heart stopped. Not because she loved him, but because she would have had a hand in his demise. It was bad enough that she had the blood of Sean, the wolf pack, and the un-known (at least to her) number of victims the pack had killed on her hands. She did not want to add Vlad's. It was her duty to help him get better; she was the only one that cared. In all honesty Lina was just guessing if the methods she used would work. There was much more information on killing vampires than saving them. So far she hoped it was working. If Vlad did not get better by tomorrow she would have to try using her magic to help him.

'Don't think about it. If he doesn't get better then it is time to let him go hun. We tried.' Sandra said. Lina rolled her eyes at Sandra.

"Of course you don't care. You never met Vlad…or one of his incarnations. You just don't understand how it feels to be around him. Besides, if we don't try magic then we have not tried everything." Reaching out she dabbed at Vlad's forehead. "Besides, it's a medical challenge. How to cure a toxin I do not know, on a patient that can kill me with a look." Lina stood once more, taking out her bottle of painkillers and popping one down dry. Lina had bleed Vlad dry the first night after sending in a chaser that would hopefully clot the toxin. After he had been bleed dry Lina had cut him open, removing the clumps of silver from where she could. There was probably much more in his body, but she could not find it. Once Vlad had been bled dry Walter had given her blood packets of fresh blood to help replenish the vampire. It had taken twenty to get Vlad to look normal again, and it was seven packs a night. Lina was almost tempted to offer her own virgin blood, but her aversion to pain and her sensitivity to blood loss had made her decide against it. Besides, giving Vlad her blood would be taking their relationship way too far for now. She went to the door and moved to go to the main floor for dinner in the kitchen. "I hope you get better soon Vlad. You're the only other person that laughs with me when the bodies bounce in Sweeny Todd."

Just as Walter promised the dinner was sitting on the counter, steam rising since it was still warm. She had no idea how Walter managed to do, probably decades of practice. The staff was busy serving dinner to the troops and of course the Mistress of the house. Come to think of it, Lina had not seen Sir Integra in two days. Most of the staff left her alone, which made her feel like an outsider, but how could she complain, she was an outsider.

"That smells delicious." Seras was standing in the doorway on the opposite side of the kitchen, looking over the dish longingly. Lina was not used to seeing Seras in street clothes. The baggy pink shirt and loose fitting jeans showed Seras's real personality, a comfort lover. Seras moved closer, staying a few feet away. Considering how Lina had treated her last time it was not surprising. "How is Master doing?" Lina took a nibble from her plate, enjoying the rich flavor. Lina felt a bit guilty for eating in front of Seras.

"Vlad hasn't really changed. Still resting fitfully." They sat there quietly. Seras had been trading off with Walter on watching Vlad on the times Lina had gone to class, and when it came to lifting him up and out of the coffin. Lina could not stand eating while Seras just looked so miserably at the plate. "Do you want some?" It came out much harsher than Lina meant it to. "Sorry, I must be a little stressed."

"I want some, but I just can't stomach the stuff." Seras's shoulders slumped dejectedly. Lina shifted, feeling pity for Seras. "I can only have blood now. That is actually why I came here; get my blood pack for tonight." Seras opened the wooden cabinet, revealing a secret blood storage unit, some of the rows empty. That must be from feeding Vlad. Quickly grabbing the closest blood pack Seras made to leave the kitchen and Lina alone.

"Well…If you want to eat your breakfast in here it wouldn't bother me. I have a pretty strong stomach. Besides, I could use the company of another girl. I've been swimming in a testosterone ocean." Seras completely understood the feeling of being around to many guys all the time. She took a seat a few spaces away from Lina. "When you drink blood you aren't a problem to me. It's only when you don't drink blood I can't be around you." Lina said, scooting her seat closer to Seras.

"Oh…" Seras answered, not really understanding but taking the offered olive branch. "So…" Seras asked, pulling the tab on the blood pack and sucking on it like a straw. As much as it disgusted Seras, she could not deny the surge of delight that passed through her as the blood ran over her tongue and down her throat. As the liquid splashed in her stomach she shivered at the pleasant sensation. "Why are you dating Master? What makes you like him?" Seras could not understand it. Her master was an ass on the best of days.

"Honestly, he has this aura about him that just makes me…want to be next to him. He is just so powerful, so dangerous, so…I don't know. It makes me want to make him smile and just...relax." She swirled her food around on her plate, getting it coated in the sauce before chewing on it. A dreamy look came over Lina's face, her lips upturned in a peaceful smile. "He and I have similar color schemes. We are distrusting, both competitive, and we both love weapons." Lina cast a look over at Seras who was busy sipping from her blood pack. "But what I think gets me the most is he is different from me. He loves to kill, I want to save lives. He wants to see war, I want to see peace. We complement and contradict each other at the same time." Lina played with one of her bangs, curling the hair around her finger and eating a few more bites. "He doesn't need me to be happy; I don't need him to be happy. So I never have to worry about him becoming like Sean." Licking the sauce off her fork she skewered a piece of chicken. "He is dominating, that is one of his biggest pluses. He brings out my natural submissive tendencies and that makes me even happier."

"Why would that make you happy?" Seras could not wrap her mind around why that last one would make any woman happy.

"I've watched all the men in my family get their balls chopped off by the women in my family and I hate it. If I don't have a dominate guy, I'll end up just like my grandma. An angry, spiteful woman than drives her husband to talking to himself and tells him he doesn't need to go to the doctor when he might have fucking cancer." The happy smile fell, a sigh escaping Lina.

"Ah…I guess that makes sense then."

"Well, that's not the only reason I like dominate men, dominate men turn me on. They know how to treat you in all the right ways." Lina burst out into a fit of perverse giggles. Seras gave a faked smile, rolling her eyes.

"I guess being around guys for so long rubbed off on you." Seras finished her blood pack and moved to throw it away.

"I am a pervert all by myself. Me and my girlfriends back in the states would sit around and giggle as we talk about cute guys." Lina's plate was almost empty. "Have a nice night Seras." Seras nodded and left the room. Lina finished her plate "I need some girl friends. I am going nuts." Putting her dish in the sink Lina returned back to the underground, hoping Walter would bring the blankets soon, she was getting really cold. Opening the door Lina smiled as she saw that the cot and stuff she had asked for was there. Going over to her bag she popped a few more pain killers as she pulled out a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower. As the hot water ran over her flesh Lina sighed, feeling the cold being chased away.

In the dungeon room Vlad started to toss and turn in his coffin. Beads of sweat coated his body, his face distorted in his fitful sleep. Unnatural sounds left his throat as his body started to twist and turn in his coffin. Lina had closed the lid to try and help him recover. Masses of shadows seemed to be drawn to his body, red eyes blinking open and seeming to roll in their nonexistent sockets as they try to orient themselves. The sweat turned to droplets of blood, running down his porcelain white skin, staining it red. His cold flesh seemed to be burning, muscles bloating as if he was drowning in the blood, blood was filling the coffin and leaking over the sides, collecting in the dirt and creating mud. He started to gasp, the blood filling his lungs and stomach. The shadows seemed to be become much more awake as the blood soaked the dirt and began to run through the cracks in the stone floors. The shadows found the blood and swiftly started sucking it into themselves, following each ruby drop back to the source. The shadows came to the wooden box, circling it as if trying to determine if their master was truly inside. Even with the blood suffocating his lungs the unearthly calls escaped him, calling the shadows to him. The shadows suddenly converged on the coffin, sucking every drop of blood and every speck if dirt into themselves before ingraining themselves into the wood of the casket. The wood became darker than the blackest night, his body aging even as blood surrounded him. He aged to the point of his flesh falling from his bones. The shadows devoured every last drop of flesh and blood. When there was nothing left but bones in the wooden box the shadows began to be soaked back into the bones. The empty eye sockets in the skull glowed with hellfire, the shadows seeping back out of the bones to become muscles, tendons, blood vessels, nerves, organs, skin, hair, and nails. When it had all finally settled Vlad was whole once more, and the coffin a perfect copy of his previous ones. On the lid a large bloody cross bubbled up from the wood, and what looked like ghostly fingers wrote in blood. It slowly dried to gold.

Lina hummed softly to herself as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. Her nightgown was an ankle length white silk and cotton blend, lace adorning the bust and hem of the dress. Satisfied with her hair she put on the matching robe and slippers. She loved soft, smooth fabrics; shivering at the delightful caresses it gave her flesh. Gazing into the mirror Lina felt a sharp, stabbing sensation at the base of her skull, her vision tilting as her knees gave out from under her. Voices, there were so many voices…each singing a symphony of emotion that was beyond her living mind to comprehend. Sha came with whirlwind of silence, the vortex protecting Lina from the voices. It was like being in the eye of a storm, knowing what madness lay around while the body was sheltered in a deceptive calm. Thankfully it all passed, Sha reaching out on the metaphysical plane to help Lina onto her trembling legs. Her mind felt sluggish as it tried to recover from the sudden override of spiritual sensations. Something must have happened with Vlad. Finishing up with her routine Lina made her way toward the room she was sharing with Vlad. Her hand reached out and knocked lightly on the metal door. No response came, prompting Lina to enter. She distinctly remembered leaving the electric lights on. Reaching her hand out she flipped the switch a few times, the bulbs were burnt out. Leaving the door to the hallway wide open Lina went to the small supply bag Walter had brought her, 'in case' of an emergency situation. Pulling it out she found an electric lantern and turned it on. There was a chain hanging from the ceiling and Lina pulled a chair under it, reaching up and clipping the lantern in place to provide the entire room with light. Replacing the chair Lina turned to look at Vlad's coffin, going still as she saw the very obvious differences. This was much more regal than the plain black box Vlad had been resting in for the past few days. The gold glittered in an eye catching manner, the beauty making her want to reach out and touch it.

"Vlad?" With timid steps she approached the coffin, keeping her voice low. "Vlad? Are you okay Vlad?" The door to the hallway closed behind her with a chilling click. Lina turned quickly to look towards the door, finding no one there. She was getting really sick of this. "Okay…this is not funny Vlad. I've been taking care of you for three days and been neglecting my own injuries, this is no way to repay me." She moved back towards her cot, wanting to wrap the blankets around her. The room was growing colder, her breath a visible puff of air before her eyes. She noticed that the sheet was missing from the pile of bedding. "Vlad?" She wrapped her arms around herself. Something was wrong. A rich masculine chuckle echoed off the stone walls around her, the sound touching her and making her shift with discomfort.

"Ce-o trata delicioase mic a venit în camera mea rătăcitori. (1)" The lantern was turned down, making the room much darker. "Si stii numele meu, de asemenea. Mă întreb ce s-ar suna ca atunci când ţipa ea. (2)" The shadows on the walls grew darker, dancing on the walls and across the floor. "Purtarea alb eşti tu? Virgine poartă alb, dar ei niciodată nu s-ar intra în camera a unui om care nu sunt casatoriti. (3)" Lina had no clue what these words meant, but the tone of voice made her lustful and terrified at the same time. "Fie ca sunteti un mincinos, sau care se oferă-te la mine. (4)" A sinister chuckle rang out, Lina holding herself tighter. "Întoarce-te fata, lasa-ma sa vad daca esti fizic plăcut. (5)"

"I don't understand what you're saying Vlad. Please…speak in English." Lina's voice was weak, goose bumps breaking out all over her flesh.

"Deci tu nu vorbesc limba română. Nu contează, ceea ce nu se poate spune-mi corpul dumneavoastră va. (6)" Vlad stepped from the shadows, his eyes roaming over the small girls frame. He had woken up in the coffin, feeling sore and with little memory of how he arrived here. The last thing he remembered was being dragged out in restraints to be beheaded by the enemy army. He had woken up to find himself without clothing, taking one of the sheets to cover his waist. No matter, soon the master of this castle would come to deal with him. In the meantime the girl was still shivering like a frightened leaf. He could think of a few ways to warm her. Something seemed familiar about this girl. Brown hair was common. He silently approached her, the scent of sweet violets and sage washing over him. No…it could not be. She was dead. She had been for twenty three years. He grasped the girl by the shoulders, turning her face to look at him, his eyes studying her face. "Setareh?" The girl looked up at him with what seemed close to horror as the name left his lips. Her eyes searched his own face. He watched her lips move silently, she was trying to speak. Without warning she fainted in his grasp, her body going limp. He picked her up effortlessly, laying her down on the cot. Kneeling down he studied her face, his fingers running through her hair. "Femeile de obicei nu slab, pana cand am terminat cu ei. Trezeste-te mai repede fata. Am nevoie de răspunsuri. (7)" It was shaking to see this girl that looked so much like Setareh, she even used similar perfumes. Her hair was not as long, her skin was lighter. Yet when he looked into those hazel eyes he could feel the wave of recognition. Examining her Vlad noticed that her skin was cold to touch. He gently pulled the blankets over her small form. Looking back toward the coffin he felt something in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he was dead? He looked back at the girl. The likeness was painfully apparent. Would Setareh look the same in the afterlife? "În cazul în care diavolul plănuieşte să mă chinui cu memoria el este prea târziu. (8)" Setareh had a birthmark. To settle this issue he would have to examine her. A perverse smirk crossed his lips. Gently removing the girls' robe Vlad pulled down the bust of her bed clothes, licking his lips at creamy flesh. His fingers brushed over the skin, his eyes checking for the telltale birthmark, she had it, but that could be an illusion. He leaned in and licked at her neck, lightly dragging his teeth against her flesh. She whimpered in response, tilting her head back to give him more access. Running his fingers down her spine he was unprepared for the cry of pain that escaped her lips. Her eyes snapped open and she moved to flee his touch. He easily reached out and grabbed her wrists, keeping her from leaving. With little patience Vlad turned her around, pulling her arms above her head. Gazing on the black, purple and yellow splotches all across her back, it was no wonder she was in pain.

"You're not my Vlad…are you? You're from his human lifetime." Lina was still unable to believe what she was seeing. He looked so much like the Vlad she knew, but the differences where striking. His dark brown hair was somewhat wavy; the goatee framed his lips and accentuated his jaw line. Both versions were good looking, but this version was more rugged. She recognized the name he had called her. Part of her heart soared that he remembered that lifetime, he remember Setareh! That wasn't her though; it was what little of that lifetime was left. "You don't speak English do you?" Great, trapped in a dark room with a vampire having an identity crisis. "I guess this is what I get for using Greek gods, cruel twists of fate." Calloused fingers gently ran down her spine, his cold touch making her skin feel numb. Lina tried to steady her breathing, her nerves fizzling out. Damn it! This was no time to be submissive! Those fingers trailed back up her sore back, massaging at the base of her skull, eliciting mewls of pleasure. Why did he have to be so good at that! He was leaning closer to her. Lina could feel his hair brushing across her skin. Lina bit her lip, trying to calm herself.

"Cine a rănit? (9)" He asked huskily in her ear. Still rubbing gently at the base of her skull he moved his hand down to trace her ribs, steadily creeping up her small frame. "Un om nu ar trebui să mâna pe o femeie, fără cauză dreaptă. (10)" He listened with relish as the girl's breathing grew shallower, peering over her shoulder to watch her chest rise and fall. Standing to her full height this girl would still heads shorter, the same as Setareh. Looking around he took in the state of things, there was a towel in a bowl along with a strange box near the coffin he had awaken in. Perhaps she had been preparing his body for the grave? Examining her hands he was puzzled by the strange paint on her fingers, brushing it aside. Her hands were much too smooth to be the hands of someone that worked with corpses as well she did not reek of death. If only he could understand what she was speaking. He could hear fragments of the Germanic tongue, but there were mixes of Latin and some others he could not place. Another thought came to him as he examined the nearest bruise. Turning her around while still holding her small wrists captive with one hand he tilted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Te-ai câştiga aceste semne? (11)" He could remember the ax coming down swiftly, the unimaginable pain as his head left his shoulders, but here he was in the presence of a woman so physically similar to his childhood acquaintance, rising from a coffin. This girl might be a witch, a genuine necromancer. He laughed at the irony. He had fought his whole life against the forces trying to take his throne and who denounced his God. Only to be returned to the living by a heathen. "Ati mi-a adus din mormânt să fie slujitorul vostru? Doriţi să mă folosească la ajutor Domnul vostru întuneric în pretinzând sufletele pentru a construi armatele de dracu? (12)" Vlad let his hatred and malice coat his words, his voice rising. Even if she could not understand the words, she would understand the meaning behind them. He did not know his eyes glowed brighter with his temper. He watched in satisfaction as she trembled, her eyes frozen with fear on his face. He looked down her body, seeing the effects of the cold on her body. He gave her a wicked smirk, reaching out a hand and cupping the globe of flesh. When the cry of protest left her lips he studied her face once more, boring into her eyes, wanting the truth.

"Please…don't. I don't know what I've done to offend you…but please…stop." He watched her lips move, noticing the way her fuller bottom lip seemed to be quivering. "Vlad…let me go…please…let me go." Lina was freaking out. It was scary enough having Vlad yell at her in English, but him yelling at her in a language she did not know, it was downright horrific. His hand cupping her breast was not making matters any better. What if he decided to…she could not bring herself to think of that. When his hand left her breast she sighed, her body visibly slumping with relief. Lina let her eyes look over this Vlad's body, finding it just as incredible as Alucard's. She could see the lines of scars crisscrossing the hard planes of his chest. Alucard had the same scars, but his were much fainter, as if time was smoothing those wounds away completely. Damn it, something must be seriously wrong with her if seeing battle scars made her blood boil. A particularly harsh scar started around the left side of his abs, her eyes following it down till it disappeared under the sheet wrapped around his waist. Why did Vlad have to be so sexy! Why couldn't he be fat or something! A much softer chuckle made her jerk her eyes back to meet Vlad's face. He knew she had been looking over his body. As her eyes met his again he saw the restrained lust.

"Nu, se pare mult prea delicată pentru a face draci de lucru la îndemână. (13)" He leaned closer, his lips curling up in a smile. "Trebuie să aveţi un motiv mai mult personal de stare de veghe pentru mine. (14)" He released her wrist and buried his fingers into her hair, tilting her head up and holding her still. He felt her hands go to his chest, weakly pushing him away. His lips claimed hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth and forcing his tongue into her mouth, tasting her with brutal force. The girl thrashed, moving to escape. His free arm wrapped around her waist, his hand gently squeezing her ass. She was still fighting him. Pulling away from her he looked into her eyes, seeing the fear and confusion. Only virgins looked at him like that when he kissed them. "Nu vă faceţi griji, voi face munca ta vraja fată merită. (15)" He laid her down on the cot, arranging her hair so it was splayed out around her head like a halo. "Spune-mi numele tău. (16)" He spoke softly against her ear.

"Lina…" She did not know how she knew what he was asking, but she was hoping he would turn back into her Vlad. She did not have the willpower to resist this. Even as guilt settled in she wanted this. "Please stop…I can't do this…I just can't do this. It's cheating." In essence she was cheating on Vlad if she let this happen. He kissed at her neck, his hands grasping hers and bringing them up to rest on his shoulders. "Please no…You're not him. You're not the Vlad I know. Please…No." They were both still for a long time, Lina praying that this was a really bad dream. The man above her nuzzled his head at her neck. She needed the man she knew back, but this man responded to the name Vlad. Damn it, what else did he say he was called? "I want Alucard. Wake up Alucard, please. Wake up." The man over her body paused shaking his head a bit as if coming out of a fog.

"When did you start using that name for me weakling?" Alucard pulled away from Lina's neck, trying to remember how he had ended up straddling her, or when he took his clothes off. Looking down at Lina with her hair framing her face and in the nightgown he decided it did not really matter. "What happened to me?" She looked positively relieved to see him. Running a hand over his face he noticed he had a goatee.

"Are you really you?" He arched an eyebrow. "You are Alucard Vlad, not the Vlad from the fourteen hundreds." She tried to clarify. That explains the damn goatee.

"It's me Lina. If I had not already killed that wolf I would do it again." He moved off of her, rolling his neck out. "Did you undress me?" He looked over his body, noticing the scars were much more visible, and he could remember how he got them. He could clearly remember parts of his human life. These were his memories now, not the story from another person.

"No. I came back from my shower and you were in the sheet." Lina was blushing heavily. Alucard looked like a mix between himself and the other Vlad, the scars still distinct on his pale skin, but his hair was black and straight once more, the goatee trimmed back. "I'm glad it's you. I was freaked out that if I couldn't get the other you to stop that I and he would…" She trailed off, the meaning very clear.

"That you two would fuck." She winced at the calloused way he said it. The way those words came out she could tell he did not appreciate that she had refused because it was not him.

"If you want to put it that way yes." She got up from the cot and put the robe on, flashing him her bruised back. "I was just here till you got better, your better, so I'm going to have Walter drive me back home." Walter would help her get her stuff; she did not want to stay in here with Alucard, Vlad, whoever it was. The door was coated in shadows, red eyes staring at her. "I've had enough of this bullshit! I want out! I'm tired of getting beaten up! I'm tired of being locked up! I'm tired of being treated like a whore! Let me out now!" She was distraught. With a heavy sigh Alucard went over to her, his hands gently resting on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing her flesh.

"I'm pissed at him, not you." She felt her anger dissipating. "He knows I want you to stay a virgin." She looked up at him, listening for the falsities in his statement. "I'm glad I killed that wolf, your back looks awful." He was trying to make her feel better, and the cooling sensation of his fingers on her bruised flesh was really pleasant. "Thank you for helping me." He leaned down, kissing her chastely, feeling her respond readily. Alucard could not believe it, he felt so good. Every fiber of his being was new, he felt…nice.

"You're welcome. Now please unlock the door." He arched an eyebrow playfully at her. She backed up just a bit.

"Nonsense Lina, you've helped me, let me take care of your needs." The grin he gave her made her feel wet. His eyes took on a lazy glow, going from hellfire red to a warm, rich burgundy. Before she could make further protest Lina found herself on her stomach with him straddling her waist, his hands expertly rubbing at her back, her bare back. The nightgown was pushed down around her waist. "Simţiţi-vă liber să geme. (17)" His licked the shell of her ear.

* * *

English translations: I figured I would put them here so it would be easier to reference them. Remember, these are from online translators, so accuracy is not really there.

1\. A delectable little treat has come wandering into my chamber.

2\. And you know my name as well. I wonder what it would sound like when you scream it.

3\. Wearing white are you? Virgins wear white, but they would never come into the room of a man they are not married to.

4\. Either you are lying, or offering yourself to me.

5\. Turn around girl, let me see if you are physically pleasing.

6\. So you do not speak Romanian. No matter, what you cannot tell me your body will.

7\. Women usually do not faint till I finish with them. Wake up soon girl. I need answers.

8\. If the devil plans to torment me with your memory he is too late.

9\. Who hurt you?

10\. A man should never lay a hand on a woman without just cause.

11\. Did you earn these marks?

12\. Have you brought me from the grave to be your slave? Do you wish to use me to aid your dark lord in claiming souls to build the armies of hell?

13\. No, you seem much too delicate to do the devils handy work.

14\. You must have a more personal reason for waking me.

15\. Do not worry, I will make your spell work worthwhile girl.

16\. Tell me your name.

17\. Feel free to moan.

* * *

Baddrick Ireland…St. Brigid Abbey…November 7…3 a.m.

"Good grief. Bring the young man in. Call a doctor and the Father. He's practically dead." The priests quickly carried a young man into the medical wing, amazed that he was still drawing breath with the injuries he sustained. There were large slashes over the man's body; his right arm was fractured in three places. Some of the nuns came over wiping at the still bleeding wounds. The doctor came in working as quickly as he could on mending the injuries. As the doctor began to suture the larger wounds he noticed that the flesh was mending together.

"Call the Vatican…I need speak with Bishop Maxwell." One of the nuns nodded, going quickly to call Rome. The doctor set the bones back into place, putting them in a cast. As the wounds were bandaged up the doctor went to the phone, waiting to be transferred through the different security levels.

"Who is this?" A voice asked on the other end.

"Dr. Garrets. I think we have an inhuman here at St. Brigid abbey. The young man was healing even as I was working on stitching him together." There was silence on the other end of the line before the click of a transfer and another person answered the phone.

"We will send someone out tonight, keep the inhuman isolated. Expect our agent by noon." The person hung up the phone.

By noon the young man was awake, begging for something to eat and for water. They had locked him in the room, pushing water and some crackers in to be humane. Sean was weak, just so weak. His body was aching all over, his mind clouded over with pain. Reaching his good hand into his pocket he pulled out his rosary, putting it on his neck.

"I want to confess…please…I need to confess…Fathers…Sisters…I need to confess." He was crying out, he wanted to confess, to be brought back into the fold, back into the light of god. "My God do not forsake me." Tears ran down his face. He could hear footsteps in the hallway, they were approaching me. "I need forgiveness! Please let me confess Father! Help Me! Do not let the devil claim my soul!" The footsteps seemed to hasten their pace. Sean rolled himself off the bed he was resting on, crawling towards the door. Sean started to tremble and sweat, the memories flooding back, over taking his mind. He had seen hell. He had seen the deepest circle of hell within the terrible monsters' eyes. The door opened, a large pair of boots walking in. Sean looked up, the silver cross reflecting the sun's beautiful light. The blonde man standing before Sean must be in his late thirties, glasses over warm green eyes. A large scar was across the priest's left cheek. "Oh Father. You must help me! The devil has me in his grasp! I was tempted by Satan! I need to confess my sins. I need to atone for my weaknesses Father. Please…take pity on me. I have strayed from the flock. Please…help me back into the light of God Almighty." Sean burst into sobs, his shoulders shaking as his broke down at the priest's feet. "Oh Father…do not let Satan take me…the fires of hell are too much Father." The older man knelt down, resting a large hand on Sean's back.

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55 verse seven) Sean slowly calmed his sobs, looking up at this priest. The priest reached out and gently examined the rosary dangling from Sean's neck. "Tell me child, what evil have you witnessed, and have you committed?" This priest had a thick Scottish accent.

"I was weak Father. I loved a witch." Sean gagged with self disgust. "I tried to save her soul; I tried to help her forsake her idols and demon masters. In return she went to HIM. A creature that is Satan on earth." Sean had to stop, taking a steadying breath. "She changed me into a monster! Because of her I have spilled the blood of innocent women. For her and her unholy lover!" Sean grabbed the priest's shirt with his one good hand. "He has hell in his eyes. He wears red, and when he appears he bring the armies of hell with him." The priest pulled his hand away, the eyes changing from the friendly gleam to a harsh glint.

"Can you name this abomination?"

"Dracula." Sean whispered out, fearing the vampire's appearance even during the daylight. A sadistic grin came over the face of the priest before him.

"I am Father Alexander Anderson my son. Do you wish to surrender yourself to God? Will you stray again from the path of the one true God?"

"I vow to stay true to the Lord. I will give the rest of my life to atone for my sins Father." Sean poured his soul into the words.

"Get up and follow me. Bishop Maxwell is the one to decide if you can find redemption my son."

**End Chapter.**


	21. Links

Hellsing Manor…November 8…10 a.m.

"Miss Khayam, seeing as Vlad has killed the werewolves that where targeting you the Hellsing organization will officially close your case. For security reasons you are not allowed to mention the existence of Hellsing to any other civilians or law officials unless they request such information. You may declare your belief in the supernatural and the existence of monsters as long as you do not make references to your case or you will be subject to ten years in prison or a three hundred thousand pound fee and five years in prison. You are not to keep in contact with any members of Hellsing. Vlad is the obvious exception because regardless of what any law says he will do as he pleases, and he does not officially work for me anymore. Please read over the paper you have before you sign. Once you sign this paper Hellsing officially is no longer responsible for your safety, unless you manage to find yourself in yet another case we are working on." Lina sat across from Sir Integra in the office, the pen in her hand as she read over the document. She did not really understand some of the legal terms it used, but the gist of it was pretty clear thanks to Integra's little explanation.

"What if I see Hellsing personal in social settings, am I allowed to say hi as long as I don't mention Hellsing?" Integra pulled out a cigar box, prepping the cigar and her lighter.

"That is acceptable. But they have to approach you, you cannot approach them." Lina shrugged her shoulders, printing her name in her serial killer type before fluidly signing her name in overly coiled cursive; violently slashing to dot her I's and cross the T's. "What will you do with your new found freedom?" Integra lit her cigar, taking a small drag before blowing smoke rings.

"First, I'm going to rejoin the SCA, Sean made me stop when I kicked his butt in competition." Lina handed the pen and document back to Integra, trying to not cough as the smoke wafted through the air towards her in grey swirls.

"I'm not familiar with that organization." Taking the signed document Integra put it on top of the paperwork in the folder, closing the file and stamping 'closed' on the front with bright red ink.

"Society for Creative Anachronism. Basically we reenact the medieval period between six hundred and sixteen hundred A.D. You probably think it's nerdy." Lina laughed a little to herself, not comfortable sitting there while Integra seemed to be moving on to the next item on her desk.

"That goes without saying Miss Khayam, but we all must have our hobbies. What did you defeat him in?" Integra pulled out a different folder, keeping the contents out of Lina's sight.

"Heavy armored combat. I think that might have started his whole psycho thing. He was doing armored combat for a few weeks longer than me, but in our first competition I knocked him out of the free-for-all round. A blow to his ego from his girlfriend does not help at all that he was telling me I shouldn't do it because I'd get hurt." Lina smiled sadly at the memory. Since Vlad had recovered Lina had been plagued by thoughts of Sean. The longer she examined the chain of events, the heavier her guilt. Maybe it was all her fault. Sean said he did all of it for her, what if that was true.

"Heavy armored combat?" Integra tapped her cigar on the ashtray; gloved fingers brushed a strand of her long hair back.

"It's easier to just look it up on YouTube than to explain it." Lina said, fidgeting around in the chair. "I guess I should be looking for a job instead of that, but I didn't have any luck before, can't imagine it'll change now."

"Do you really want a job?" Integra asked, re-adjusting her glasses. Lina looked at her with confusion.

"Yeah, I'd like to earn some money. It would be nice so I can not worry about going out to eat." Integra took another drag off her cigar, watching with a neutral expression as the smoke swirled above her. A slow smirk crossed Integra's lips.

"I'll hire you to work as an errand girl for me. One hundred and fifty pounds a week to start, but you won't have to file taxes since Hellsing employees are exempt. Of course you would have to go through our house staff physical exams for any of this to be official. All transportation needs directly related to my orders are reimbursed." Lina stared dumb struck at Integra, not believing what she had just heard.

"Director Wingates, are you seriously offering me a job here?" Lina could not believe it. Why would Integra want to hire her? Integra laughed in her throat, tapping the cigar once more against the ashtray.

"Yes. If you want, go to the medical wing now and get the physical exam underway." Lina rose from the chair and moved to go toward the medical ward, smiling to herself. Integra finished her cigar, grinding it out in the ashtray. A tingling sensation ran down Integra's spine, making her look up to see Alucard dropping in from the ceiling. "She didn't sense you." His lips cracked open in a wide grin.

"Since I woke up she has been having difficulty. Apparently when I 'died' my energy signature changed. She'll adapt to it. For now I've been enjoying the invisibility." There was a perverse grin on his face. He walked over to her, still hanging from the ceiling. "Why offer her a job? And a position so close to you, my dear ex-master, what are you thinking?" His voice held a sing song quality to it, although not a comforting one, as if he already knew what she was planning.

"I'm thinking that I need an errand girl, and she is looking for a job. She already understands what this organizations purpose is; she has already survived werewolves and being your girlfriend. All we have to do is sign some papers and give her an id card. Very little training necessary and I'm sure you won't let anything too horrific happen to her." He tilted his head just a bit, arching an eyebrow.

"You're going to use her to keep tabs on me." Integra's smirk widened as she leaned back with authority in her chair.

"Why Alucard, what would ever make you think that?"

* * *

Vatican City…Iscariot office…1 p.m.

"What is that beast doing here Anderson! You were sent to kill him! Not bring him home like some pet!" Maxwell was fuming, yelling at the stoic priest across from him. Maxwell took a deep breath, getting ready to yell once more. "What was going on in that head of yours! This is against Dogma! Need I remind you why this organization exists!" Father Anderson did not even blink. Anderson's green eyes were boring into Maxwell. It made Maxwell slump his shoulders, feeling like a child who had just thrown a tantrum. Anderson had not aged a day in the twenty years Maxwell had been head of Iscariot. It honestly unnerved Maxwell.

"I brought the lad here to help him Maxwell. No Catholic desperate to make amends should be turned away. Our Lord is a forgiving Lord to those that come to him. Besides Maxwell, the boy can be of some use in defeating the pet vampire of England." The green eyes flashed with religious fury. Anderson always became unquestionable when the vampire Alucard was involved. Maxwell slowly sat down once more, his hand in his hair as he exhaled, letting go of his argument, yet the twitch above his eye started up. "Ay trust ye to see that he gets the spiritual guidance he needs. If ye need me I'll be wit the children." Anderson changed once more to the friendly, gentle priest. Maxwell listened to the footsteps as they disappeared down the hall. Father Anderson was the only one aside from his Holiness the Pope that could rein in Maxwell's rampages. Pressing the button on the call box he gave orders as for what was to be done with the werewolf. Checking the memos on his desk he felt a vein in his forehead twitch. The bloody Muslims extremists had sent yet another threat letter against his Holiness.

"Call sisters Wolfe and Takagi. They need to be briefed on their next assignment. It supersedes all other orders." He took a sip from his coffee, looking over the menu options for lunch. It would be at least two hours before those nuns came into his office. He really should order a salad, without the dressing. Need to watch his figure before the holiday season, the chefs always over do it with the sweets, and he simply could not refuse a delectable treat. Casually he checked over the paperwork at his desk, pulling up the schedule on his computer. He typed in memos and adjusted the meeting dates as he checked them against the papers. He came across a note from the Hellsing attaché. The meeting he had requested with Director Hellsing was set for February 29th. Maxwell re-read the note; something about it just seemed off. The meeting was set for February 29th, which would not be for another three years. "Blasted protestant whore. You will not treat me with so little respect." Angrily he pressed the button again. "Get the Hellsing attaché to contact that filthy heathen Director Hellsing immediately. The date she set for the meeting is completely un-agreeable!"

* * *

Vance Home…5:36 p.m.

Steve and Kyle sat at the table, their cards in hand. The twins stared each other down, trying to find the others tell. Seth and Matt had folded earlier in the game, Matt waiting for the twins to finish so he could deal the next hand. They were going to go in late tonight, the Halloween bash had be a huge hit so they could afford to open late. Steve and Kyle both grinned at the same time, setting their cards down and both confident that their hand was the better one. Matt and Seth looked at the hands, staring at each other before looking toward the twins. They had identical hands.

"You two are bloody idiots." Matt set the deck down, getting up and stretching his legs and cracking his back. "I'm going to grab a bite to eat, want anything from the kitchen?"

"Some beers." They all nodded in agreement, Seth gathering up the cards and shuffling. Steve and Kyle divided the pot between themselves.

"Kyle, when are we going on that camping trip, the weather is already cold." Steve asked, collecting his cards and checking his hand. Not bad, pair of jacks.

"Next weekend. Our spot is reserved." The twins had been going camping at the same place since they were eight years old. Their grandfather had taken them camping mostly during the summer, but the winter trips were the special ones, the ones were grandfather took them hunting. What they killed they would cook on the campfire, any extra was taken home for grandma. Their grandmother was now living with their parents since grandpa had passed from a heart attack. They kept the hunting trips up because of the bonding time they shared, and to keep their grandfathers' memory alive for their grandmother. "She expects us to stop by before to say hello." Kyle checked his hand, hand, a pair of kings.

"How long are you two going to be camping this time?" Seth asked, dealing Matt and himself hands. As he looked he grinned, three of a kind.

"Three days." Matt answered as he walked in, handing each of them a beer and opening his own. "You guys already have the time off." Matt looked at his own cards, a straight.

"So…how is your princess?" Steve asked, snickering as he placed his bet.

"Director Wingates and I have not been in contact since she called to let us know Lina would be staying with her for 'reasons'." Matt rolled his shoulders and readjusted himself in the chair. It was a bit odd that she did not say anything to him. She probably thought he was an idiot. Steve was not helping at all.

"Have you thought about calling her?" Kyle asked, reaching a hand into the large bowl of pretzels to munch on them.

"I don't have her number. I wrote her a letter yesterday. If she wants to get in touch with me, she will." They played their hands, the plastic chips changing hands and cards being shuffled again and again. "Does anyone else get weird vibes from Lina's boyfriend?"

"He's a vampire. Of course you're going to weird vibes. We're all snacks to him." Everyone looked to Seth who sipped his beer calmly after speaking.

"Yeah, that seems about right." Kyle said dismissively as he took a few more pretzels.

"So am I to assume we are all just going to act like Vlad being a vampire is no big deal?" Matt asked disbelievingly. All three men looked up at Matt.

"He hasn't eaten her yet. As far as I'm concerned leave it till he steps out of line." They looked at Steve with surprise. "I would like to finish this hand if it's not too much to ask guys."

* * *

Hellsing Headquarters…6 p.m.

Vlad carefully packed his coffin, intending on taking it back to Carfax and settle once more into the earth of his new home, and future kingdom. He could practically taste his future victory, the fires of hell boiling the river Thames, the cities, towns, villages and countryside stained red with blood, every miserable soul would be his to rule. The sky would be dark for the rest of eternity with his anger and joy, and he would rule with an iron fist, complete, singular, solitary, and alone. Vlad's hands stilled in the wrapping of his coffin allowing his mind to dwell on the thought of being alone. It had never bothered him before, so why did it leave a foul taste in his mouth now?

"Vlad! I've got a job! I've got a job!" Lina came running down the stairs and corridor toward him. She stopped in the doorway, her shadow ending at his boots. He finished wrapping the coffin, straightening to his full height, squaring his shoulders. He was wearing the coat, hat and glasses, turning to face her. The excitement and energy she had come dashing toward him with evaporated with the ominous air about him. "Um…I just wanted to let you know." His lips slowly cracked into a nasty grin.

"So now you're Sir Hellsing's spy. How often are you supposed to report on me?" There was very little humor in his tone. He snapped his fingers, his coffin sprouting shadow legs, walking out of the room, Lina stepped aside with wide eyes as it moved up the corridor and the stairs, staring after it as her mind tried to process the image. "Answer me girl." He was suddenly towering over her, his arms pinning her against the cold stones, his face inches from hers, her breath coming out in visible puffs as the space around him became as frigid as his own flesh. "How often are you going to be ratting me out to Sir Hellsing?"

"If you don't do bad things, there would be nothing to tell her. And if you absolutely cannot control yourself, then simply don't involve me, so I won't have to lie to her, or betray you." Lina's false bravado hung between them like ice, her hazel eyes meeting his through his glasses. It was a few moments before his malicious grin softened into a smirk.

"You have a wonderful point." There was a mix of condescending and honesty. Lina breathed a sigh of relief as he backed away, moving down the hall to follow his coffin. "Are you coming or not weakling? I want to get settled and I need to drop you off first." He barked at her, making her clench her fists. He was so infuriating, but damn it she was powerless against the way she was drawn to him.

"I'm coming. And stop ordering me around Vlad. I think I deserve some respect for everything that's happened." He cast a glance over his shoulder as she walked forward. She would not run to catch up to his ridiculously long strides.

"I'll do as I wish weakling. You have earned some of my respect, but not enough." She glared at his back, a smirk growing on her lips.

"So how do I earn the rest of your respect? Cut your head off with a sword?" A harsh cackle was his response as he moved up the staircase.

"Just because you can swing a fake sword against other humans does not mean you are a sword fighter. I have inhuman strength, speed, and agility. So even if you were any good, I am still in a completely different class." Lina ran to stand in front of him, her hands on her hips as she glaring. Vlad stopped his red eyes boring down on her. She flinched, but did not budge. "You're in my way weakling." She would not let him side step her. "Do you want me to take you home or not? Cause if you annoy me to much I'm going to leave you on the side of the road and make it rain." With a pout Lina stepped aside, following him out to his bike. She saw the coffin standing vertically on the back part of the bike, the shadow hands from earlier gripping the hand rails. She shivered.

"That is so fucking creepy." She felt a quick pat to the back of her head. Turning she stared at Vlad with a disbelieving expression on her face. "Did you just pat me?"

"You curse too much." Was all Vlad said to her, getting on his bike and waiting for her to get settled.

* * *

Hellsing Manor…March 5 1912

"AAAAHHHH!" Van Helsing bolted upright from his deep sleep, his heart racing. A woman's scream woke him up. Leaving his bed Abraham quickly pulled a robe over his night clothes. He dashed from his bedroom and down the hallway where the screaming came from. "OH GOD! OH GOD! PAPA! ARTHUR! SOMEONE! COME QUICKLY! OH GOD!" The screaming was coming from his wife's room. He could hear Dr Seward and his son-in-law, Lord Godalming, running up the stairs from the underground levels. "PAPA!" His daughter was screaming, something was very wrong indeed. His daughter was too soft spoken to be screaming. He could feel his heart rate jumping even higher. He burst into the room and felt his heart stop. Mrs. Van Helsing's body was swinging from a rope attached to one of the pillars of her bed. Her face was blue, his wife's neck bent at an odd angle. She had died instantly. Abraham could not bring himself to move any further in the room, his feet firmly rooted to the floor as the horrible image was ingrained in his mind. His daughter ran to him, crying hard. Robotically he wrapped his arms around his child. The sound of heavy footsteps drew nearer, both younger men bursting into the room and gasping with horror at the sight. Arthur pulled his wife, formerly Mary Van Helsing, into his arms, taking her away from the room to leave the two doctors alone. John Seward came to the side of his friend, resting a hand on Abraham's shoulder.

"We need to get her down." Abraham spoke quietly, almost as if he was detached from his body, and the scene before him. Stepping forward he reached up with sturdy hands, loosening the rope from the bedpost and gently lowering the body to the floor. Seward grabbed a sheet from the bed, covering the body. Together they picked the body up, placing it on the bed.

"My old friend…I mourn your loss." The words were soft spoken, Seward not looking up at Van Helsing. "I shall go call the mortician." Abraham nodded his head in agreement, as stiff as the corpse on the bed. Seward left the room and went into the office, dialing out and waiting to be connected. He would need to call his wife and left her know what had transpired after this. The sun was shining brightly outside, but the house itself felt dark as the weight of what had just happened dawned on the Manor. Abraham and he had been making such progress with Abigail Van Helsing, she had regained some of her senses, even started to come out of her depression. Yesterday she had danced with Abraham in the foyer. It had brought a smile to the older man's face. This was a crushing blow.

In the bedroom Abraham sat at the chair in the far corner of the room, his head in his hands as he held back his tears. He should be crying in despair, should feel nothing but heartbreak and remorse, but these were tears of relief, of near joy. His wife was finally dead, after decades of wrestling to regain her mind, she was finally at rest. It was over. The nights with her screeching their son's name into the darkness of her room, of having to strap her to the bed to keep her from slitting her wrists, of having to treat his wonderful, sweet, loving Abigail like a lab rat as he struggled to help her. All of that was over now. She had one lucid moment yesterday, that had been her goodbye. He would cherish that one last dance for the rest of his life.

"Grandpa…why are you crying?" Abraham looked up from his hands to his grandson, Caleb Holmwood. The young blond boy of eight had bright blue eyes that shone with worry. Abraham reached out and pulled the small boy into a hug.

"Grandma went to live with God my little Caleb. I am crying tears of joy that she is now one of God's angels." The young boy glanced over at the bed, realizing what was under that sheet. Caleb returned his grandfather's strong embrace.

"Why did she have to go?" A sad smile and a humorless laugh left Abraham's lips.

"Only the Lord and Grandma know." Abraham felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise on end. That vampire dare intrude on this moment! Boiling rage welled up in his heart. Abraham felt icy shivers run across the left hemisphere of his frontal cortex.

'Sorry for your loss. She was a pleasant person.' Of all things for that creature to say, Van Helsing had not expected that. For the past fifteen years the vampire had been a thorn in his side, constantly threatening revenge, actually trying to attack his family, as well as trying to destroy his faith. He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the vampire's comment. At his daughter's urging he and the others had kept the vampire's existence hidden.

"Grandpa…Who's that man in the corner?"

* * *

Sultan Murad's Palace…

He was perfect, he really was. She watched from the sidelines as he swung the blade, the sun's light reflecting off the deadly metal as he cut the air. The blade cut through the wooden target with ease. She could not help but admire the way his muscles moved, seeing the strength he possessed. At sixteen few of the Sultan's guards spared with Vlad, he was too fond of cutting their fingers and ears from their body. She hugged herself tighter, wishing she could help alleviate his boredom. He had grown distant from her as he aged, and he now spent his spare time with the court ladies instead of with her. He still spoke to her when they met in the halls, and he always wished her goodbye before she and her mother left, but he no longer played games with her. A sad smile came to her lips. Princess Setareh envied and pitied Vlad. He was so strong, so independent, but he was lonely. His brother Radu was much too close to the crown prince. She wished she was as strong as he was. If she was stronger she would not be so scared, she would not have to cry so much. She could protect herself. They were both lonely, but hers was self imposed. She felt too different from her family to feel like she fit in. She cared to much for weapons, her girl cousins would not let her play with them. She was fond of jewels and dresses, so her boy cousins would not include her in their games. The sounds of prayer could be heard from the mosque. She hated going to the mosque, she loved Allah, but she could not stand being in the building. She felt so much closer to the one god in nature. Her family called her strange.

"How long have you been here princess?" She blinked and turned to look behind her, blushing with embarrassment at having been caught spying on him. Vlad had a blank expression on his face. He was starting to grow out his mustache and beard. She smirked; it looked funny with his mustache much thicker than his beard.

"Since lunch, I decided I did not want to go to midday prayer. I am sorry if it bothers you. I will leave." She rose, brushing off her skirts and getting ready to put on her head scarf. The only thing she liked about being with her family was that she didn't have to wear them.

"I am not bothered by it Setareh. I have not seen you lately. Normally you follow me around like a lost duckling." He stopped her from putting the scarf on, looking around expectantly for something and arching an eyebrow at her. "Speaking of being followed, where is your guard? It is not like him to not be lurking somewhere." He moved back to the center of the training yard, stretching his shoulders and back.

"He is in the mosque. Just because I do not want to pray does not mean he is not allowed to." She moved to follow Vlad into the sun soaked yard, stretching her legs. "I figured you are too busy to play with me anymore." She ran her hand along the handles of some of the training swords. If she was alone she would pick one up and work on improving her swing. Vlad had given her a total of six lessons, but she practiced by herself.

"You are most definitely not yourself Setareh. You would not have my schedule stop you last year." He sheathed his sword and leaned against the stone wall, looking her over. She fidgeted and moved away from the swords. She had never been this uncomfortable around him before. "A ruby for your thoughts Princess?" His voice was calm, he was always in control.

"I suppose I just do not feel as comfortable with you as I used to. I cannot tell why." He looked down at the floor, kicking up some dust. He seemed to be thinking her words over. Vlad moved away from the wall and picked up two of the practice swords.

"You are still a child." She frowned at that. He always used that as an excuse for anything that was wrong with her.

"Yes I am still a child. But that does not explain why I feel uncomfortable around you." She squared her small shoulders and marched up to him, her silk skirts flowing with her movements. He rolled his eyes at her tantrum, a dark chuckle leaving his throat.

"Princess, when you are a woman you will understand exactly why you feel so uncomfortable around me. As a child you simply are not able to grasp it. Now let us see if you remember anything I taught you about fighting. Not that a silly girl in a dress will ever be as good as I am." With a quick motion of his hand Vlad pressed the handle of the practice sword into her hand. She grasped it tightly and glared at him. She wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. He turned his back to her and before she could realize what she was doing she swung as hard as she could at the back of his head. Setareh's eyes widened in horror she made contact with his skull and he grunted, falling to his knees and cradling his head. She lowered the practice sword and backed up slowly, hoping she had not hurt him, but also preparing to flee incase he was angry. Vlad was notorious around the palace for his fits of rage. A sound she could only liken to a growling dog came to her ears and Vlad's shoulders seemed to be shaking with fury. She dropped the sword and took off sprinting before he could even rise to his feet. Setareh flinched at the yell Vlad emitted, willing her feet to carry her away faster. This was not good! Allah only knew what Vlad would do once he caught her. She did not delude herself; he was going to catch her. Vlad was far too fast for her to outrun. She could feel her heart pounding as she darted randomly down hallway after hallway, her skirts flaring out behind her and her hair whipping with the sudden turns she made. If she could only escape to her room she would be safe. The lock would be enough to keep him out. Setareh did not look behind her; she knew he was following her. What she would not give to have her guard. Then none of this would have happened!

* * *

Vance Home…8 p.m.

Lina was all to glad to get off Vlad's lap, her nerves frayed from his insufferable behavior. She handed him his helmet and gave him a curt nod before marching into the house. She could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head and she could not suppress the shivers that went through her body. She would not give him the satisfaction of turning around. He wanted to start a fight with her. Why on earth he wanted to do that she could not understand, but she was not going to fall for his bait! It became harder for her to move as she passed through the shadows, her temper rising even higher. He was manipulating shadows to hold her down. If Vlad was a human she would beat the shit out of him. She felt a sharp tap to the back of her leg; the undead bastard was reading her thoughts. She tried to take a calming breath. She would need to meditate and build mental barriers. Damn it! She slammed the gate behind her as she marched up to the front door, trying to keep her hand from shaking and her mind blank. She pulled out her keys and opened the front door, closing it behind her. Sagging against the front door Lina held back the tears from running down her face. How could Vlad think she would betray him! He was an ass! He was an official, metaphorical and literal, royal ass! She kicked her shoes off and marched up to her room, glad her roommates were gone. She did not want to deal with anyone else right now. Opening her bedroom door she yanked her shirt off, tossing it to the floor, her pants following shortly before she flopped onto her bed. Lina felt drained emotionally.

"He's an ass. I keep telling you he's an ass but will you listen, no. Because you know best don't you? And now look at yourself, crying in your room because he's being an ass. You were better off single. Maybe a stiff drink of scotch, brandy, even some whiskey should help put this all in prospective." Lina wanted to strangle herself just so she could shut Sandra up.

"I'm not crying! And I'm not going to drink!" Curling up on her bed Lina yanked up some of her blankets to cover herself.

"So you agree he's an ass then. Let's dump his ungrateful hide and move on. We watched over him for days while he nearly went out of existence and this is how he thanks us? If you like him just because he's a vampire I can find us another vampire." Sandra was digging through her little black book for any vampires she knew that might still be alive.

"Sandra…I don't want to date anyone that knew you. Nothing personal, just really don't feel like opening that can of worms." A headache started to creep up on Lina. With a groan she got up from her bed, locking the balcony windows and closing her curtain before plugging in her nightlight, stripped off the rest of her clothes, and crawled under her goose down blankets. "But maybe you're right. Maybe I should dump him. I mean, I'm still bruised, in pain, and dealing with a guilt complex, and all he's worried about is me ruining some evil plan he hasn't even hatched yet. Bastard. But what was I expecting from the king of soul sucking demons. Stupid romance novels, and Disney movies, and every story about love I've ever read for filling my head with stupid fantasies." A wavy of disappointment washed over her and she curled up tighter in the blankets.

"Hey…don't feel so bad. We've always been a sucker for him. First Thea, then Setareh, followed by Sarah, and lastly Elly. But Elly doesn't really count. And I might have been a sucker I had ever met him. But I didn't so…yeah. Don't take it so hard sweetie. I'm dead but even I have to admit, he's one hell of a man." The throbbing in Lina's head intensified.

"Not helpful Sandra, really not helpful." With a roll of her eyes Lina shifted under the blankets, tossing the pillow that still smelled like Vlad onto the floor. She would have to burn that, along with everything she owned that related to him. "I don't need these kinds of headaches. I'll give him three days to get over his little bitch fit or I'm dumping him, and going on an all garlic diet just to piss him off." Satisfied with her decision she closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep. She never saw the red cravat sneaking out of the pillow she tossed on the floor, nor did Lina watch as it slipped under her balcony door, turn into a bat and fly off into the night toward its master.

* * *

Carfax…9:32 p.m.

A single bat fluttered through the night air, clouds gathering in an ominous swirl over the English countryside and coming toward the city of London. The moon's light slowly bled from white to a tainted yellow, casting the city into an uneasy feel, people canceling their plans and staying home. Since that nasty hail storm people were more wary of the weather. A tawny owl screeched and flew from its tree side perch to take a swipe at the lone bat. The bat easily flew circles around the bird, its mouth opening wide filled with razor blade teeth as its eyes grew a brighter shade of red. The owl screeched in terror, nearly falling out of the sky with fright before hiding once more under the canopy of trees. It would stick to field mice. The bat gave a snort before it returned to normal, catching a breeze over the Thames and the breeze carrying it all the way home to Carfax. It came to perch on the outstretched arm of its master before melting into a shadow and reappearing as a tied cravat around Alucard's throat.

"At least this time you came back. Let me guess where you were. Weakling's bedroom?" Alucard ran his hands along his new coffin, his ungloved hands tracing the edges, enjoying the feel under his finger tips. It sent shivers of pleasure up his spine. He was ingrained into this coffin; it was his new home, his new domicile. A small piece of his soul was bonded now with the coffin, which was what made it so important for it to be protected. As long as a vampire had a coffin, any physical pain would be transferred to the casket, and since an object is unable to feel pain the vampire is unaffected. He could be completely disemboweled and not even flinch, but a single scratch to his final resting place, and it was like his soul was being ripped apart. Of course he could survive his coffin being attacked, but it was a pain so horrific it was near crippling. That was one of the few secrets he had kept from Van Helsing. That was a secret no mortal should ever know about a vampire, it was just to intimate. It was too early in the evening to rest, but now that his hunt for the werewolves was over, he had nothing to do. And now his old nemesis boredom was upon him once more. He could not go bother Weakling, he had effectively cut her off on the drive back from Hellsing if the report his shadow was giving him was right. Alucard shrugged, he did not need her to keep him occupied. With a regal swoop he took a seat upon his favorite chair, looking over his property. Threading his fingers together over his lap Alucard stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankle as he slumped into his chair.

'Are you going to going to stop courting her.' The voice of Dracula asked matter-of-factly in Alucard's mind. Alucard felt his eyebrow twitch in agitation.

"Go away. I don't want to deal with you." Dracula rolled his eyes in Alucard's mind.

'Oh, excuse me, how rude of me to interrupt you. Should I make an appointment? After all you are just so busy.' Alucard brought his hands up to rub at his temples.

"What do I have to do to get rid of you?" Dracula snorted and walked across the floor in Alucard's mind.

'I've been wondering the exact same thing. For now I still have not figured it out, but at the current rate you're going I have no choice.'

"What the hell is so important about me dating her? What are you getting out of it besides opportunities to be a thorn in my side?" Dracula was quiet for a moment, moving closer to Alucard before leaning down so the misty form was staring into Alucard's' eyes.

'That is my matter, none of yours. You shouldn't even exist. Be thankful I even let you back in your body when she begged for you instead of me.' Alucard could feel his temper rising as the last words were hissed at him with pure venom.

"Is that it? You don't like that she wanted me? She had her moment to have you and she picked me. It must be a harsh thing to be outdone by your 'shadow'." There was a span of silence between the two before Alucard's head jerked backwards violently, blood gushing from a broken nose and cracked jaw. Looking down at his own balled fist Alucard growled with rage. How dare his past life seize control and assault him. Worse, he could do nothing in retaliation.

'If it would not mean she would be out of my grasp I would fully support her leaving your pathetic hide.'It was a parting jab before Dracula said no more. Alucard was up and pacing, unable to sit still with the anger boiling in his chest. Taking a deep breath Alucard resolved to go speak with Lina now. Maybe if he broke this off first he would have peace and quiet. Taking steps toward his bike another thought came to him. She would still be sleeping, he would be better off speaking with her tomorrow, she needed her sleep. Blood, he needed blood. Yes, he should go out and hunt. Reaching into his pockets he patted his guns. A hunt would do him well. It was still early enough in the evening to catch his prey before they had time to enjoy their own feasts.

* * *

Hellsing Manor…10:30p.m.

Integra ground out her cigar, her eyes closed as she tried to relax. Maxwell had called in a rage about the meeting. She had thought Walter would know better than to actually set the meeting for February 29th, although it was amusing, his verbal tirade had been exhausting on her patience. Perhaps she should spend a day away from the office, get a spa day. Her lips turned into a frown. There was just no time. She was the only one she trusted with the running of Hellsing, and that meant practically every minute of every day was swimming through papers. She still had made no progress in her hunt for Van Helsing's journals. The longer she searched the more she was beginning to wonder about the sealed off part of the lower levels. Maybe they were still down there. There was a simpler way to go about this hunt, but Integra did not want to resort to it just yet. Alucard would know where the journals are. But would he let her find them? That is the question. A sudden thought came to her. What if Alucard had already destroyed the journals? No, he surely had enough respect for her great grandfather to not destroy a piece of his works. But how strong was that grudge between them? She needed someone to search the sealed off dungeons. Alucard said he was the only one able to be down there without needing to fear death, yet Lina had been for the most part unscathed. Sitting at her desk she dispassionately flipped through the papers stacked before her, unable to really focus on the typed words. There just had to be some way to search the lower levels without dragging Alucard into the matter. A gently knocking interrupted Integra's thoughts, her eyes rolling uncharacteristically at the intrusion.

"Come in." The door opened quietly as Seras came into the room, her cannon strapped across her back. The blonde vampire walked across the space to stand on the other side of the desk, saluting Integra before speaking.

"Sir Integra, the troops and I finished the mission in Southampton, 6 civilian casualties, all targets eliminated." Integra was staring at Seras with a whole new level of appreciation. She was a vampire, Alucard's own fledging, and she could go to the lower levels.

"That's fine Police girl. Have you ever been to the lower levels of the underground?" Seras was surprised at the question. She had only been to the lower levels of the dungeons once or twice with Alucard when he was trying to teach her how to call familiars. It had been a nasty place with all sorts of goblin and imp like creatures living down there. She also had failed to learn how to call the familiars, which had resulted in him giving her the silent treatment for two weeks.

"Yes Sir. Why?" Integra smirked, her glasses reflecting the light from the office lights. Integra opened a drawer in her desk, taking out the old ring of keys she had taken from Lina for the rooms in the lower levels along with the map.

"I'm looking for some journals, and I have reason to believe they are down there. These journals belonged to my great grandfather, and it is imperative that I have them. I order you to kill anything that moves down there, from the rats to whatevery else might be lurking. I refuse to have any part of my home inaccessible to me. When you have finished with that come and report to me immediately. Is that understood Private Victoria?" Seras smiled when Integra used her name, saluting again.

"Yes Sir. I'll get right on it Sir Integra." Integra nodded and waved her hand to dismiss Seras, looking down at the papers and seeing if any of it was of any desperate importance, or else she might just make her way over to the shooting range and fire off a few rounds.

Seras left the room, heading toward the armory to pick up a different weapon. Harkonnen was a fine weapon out on the field, but she doubted Integra would appreciate her using it in the manor. Passing through the halls she walked outside the main building and toward the barracks and the armory. The military trucks, vans and armored cars were parked in straight lines; a few mechanics were going over the vehicles as a few of the troops filled up the gas tanks. As she passed through the break room in the barracks she squared her shoulders, ignoring some of the things the Wild Geese were whispering about her. The room smelled strongly of cigars, and she noticed a few beer cans strewn about the floor. Men were sitting around the tables and some were on the couch watching the old TV set. A few of the men with the night off where quiet drunk and one gave her a wolf whistle. She ignored it, deciding it was not worth the effort. One of the men started a catcall that was quickly silence when Pip fired his pistol into the ceiling. A silence fell over the room.

"Knock it off, she's one of us." Pip did not look up from his poker hand, twirling the gun on his finger before slipping it into the holster at his side; his cowboy hat was drawn down over his face, smoke rising from his cigarette. He dipped the cigarette in his mouth, the ashes dropping onto the table as he laid out a royal flush, collecting the pot and getting up from the table to walk over to Seras. "Let me escort you." Seras was getting surprised left and right today. First Integra using her name, now Pip being a gentleman. She wouldn't complain, maybe the world was turning the tides in her favor. She let him walk next to her to the armory, switching out Harkonnen for a smaller gun with silver bullets. It had been so long since she held a normal gun. It felt like if she pulled the trigger it would shatter like dust in her grip. Pip was silent; his cigarette getting low and he prepared another one, playing with his Zippo lighter.

"Thank you for standing up for me back there." Seras would be nice to him. After all, he was not being perverted right now.

"You're welcome Miss Victoria." He acted as if it was not new behavior. "I figure since we are working together it would be best to have some boundaries. There are plenty of other attractive women for the men to talk about."

"I see." She decided to go for a slightly heavier gun. She did not want to worry about the gun breaking just because she fired it.

"Do you want to suck me?" Seras gasped and turned on Pip with disbelief. So much for him not being perverted. "You don't seem to like the packaged blood. Maybe fresh from the source will serve you better. I promise not to like it." Seras rolled her eyes at him, stomping away from him and back toward the manor without responding to him. Well, at least she still had Integra calling her by her name. Pip smirked after her. He had almost not said it, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up. He watched Seras walk away, enjoying the way her skirt hugged her hips. Maybe tomorrow he would hold back the perverted comments, maybe. He walked back to the break room, taking a seat on the couch and changing the channel. He could see the rest of the men looking at him, waiting for some explanation as to why there was now a bullet hole in the ceiling. He just shrugged. He liked Seras, and he did not want his men bothering her, that was his job.

* * *

Hellsing Manor…March 8 1912

The study was dark. Abraham had blown out the candles when he entered the room. He would not have electricity in his study. The natural light of the sun and candles were a welcome contrast to the electric lights in the dungeon levels. A catholic priest had been called to give his beloved wife her final rites, but when the priest had discovered it had been a suicide the priest had denied them and left. It had been a low blow. His wife had not been right in the head. Abigail had no understanding of the moral implications taking her life would have. Abraham put his head in his hands, silently mourning his wife. He would not be seen mourning before his daughter, his son-in-law, or his grandson. What was he to do? How could the church turn their back on him in his darkest hour? A sinister chuckle reverberated through the room. In the wingback chair across the room from Van Helsing a pair of red eyes peered at the old man, a shadowy form materializing around the eyes.

"What is so funny Count?" The eyes focused on Abraham. There was a corresponding red glow coming from the vampires hands, he was trying to break the seals. He would have to make them stronger.

"I just find it ironic. I was once how you are, mourning a wife, and learning she would forever be barred from joining me in heaven. There are two paths you can take from here, turn your back on god like he did on you. Or you can remain an obedient lamb. I made one choice. I simply want to see which choice you make good doctor. Maybe I can learn from your example as to what the proper choice to make was." The deep voice was almost sincere, almost.

"I will not listen to you. The devil has only the power of temptation. Nothing more than that. I will find another priest that will understand my plight."

"Why not just find a new church?" The eyes faded away slowly, leaving behind an impression in the darkness of the room. Abraham could not believe it, that monster just gave him the solution to his problem. Van Helsing could turn to the Church of England, and ask for King George V's to forgive his wife of suicide. He could abandon the Catholics without abandoning God. With the weight lifted from his shoulders he rushed to find his son-in-law to get an audience with the King as soon as possible.

In the dungeons Dracula rested in his coffin. Van Helsing had finally let him have one after years of him withering away. Now he was strong and at least appeared young. He looked down at his hands, trying to stretch his powers and growling as the seals glowed bright red while pushed his energy back. He still hated Van Helsing with every fiber of his being, but perhaps there would be a way to work this to his advantage. He had time to spare. If he could just wait a few generations, if he could just gain the trust of the next person who would control him…he could have his revenge. Trust must be earned, and the only way to earn trust is to build credibility. Van Helsing would never trust him, nor would Seward or Godalming. But perhaps if he started to gain Caleb's trust…a child was always so willing to trust. Build a good relationship with Caleb, and then Caleb's son would be even more inclined to trust him, and then…yes. It would work perfectly. And in the meanwhile, he could learn everything about how England worked, so he could destroy it when he finally earned his freedom. England would be the perfect place to rebuild his empire. An island fortress with so many possible subjects, he licked his lips at the prospect. Of course only the loyal humans would live, the rest would become meals. He would need a delicate balancing act. Eat too many humans and they would rebel or go extinct, eat too few and they would not fear him. He would get it right…eventually.

He could hear Seward in the dark arts lab with his assistants. It sounds like they had yet another cadaver to study. He focused on where they were, watching from the ceiling as the new doctors cautiously began their dissection. He almost wanted to warn them the vampire would be waking up soon, almost. They would get to suspicious if he was suddenly to helpful. He watched as the young man that had been making the chest incision was suddenly attacked, the corpse rising from the slab with inhuman speed and ripping the young man's throat out, blood flying everywhere and the others in the room panicking. How pathetic. Seward was the only one to react, pulling the gun out of his pocket and emptying six of the special bullets he and Van Helsing had worked on creating to deal with vampires. Dracula was entranced with guns, they were just so…interesting. With the vampire specimen dead Seward reached down and checked the victim's pulse, finding none and firing off the last bullet into the former lab assistant's head. Dracula changed into a centipede, crawling along the floor to lap at the blood. It was still warm. A sudden prick came to Dracula's attention, finding himself once more the shadow eyes watching from the wall. Seward was staring at him, the man's boot grinding on the floor to destroy the body of the insect. He allowed a malicious smile to materialize under the glowing orbs in the stone wall before seeping back to his coffin. No doubt Seward would report this to Van Helsing. Dracula returned once more to his coffin. It was all a balancing act. Be good to one, evil to the other, and to everyone else…it would be somewhere in the gray.

* * *

Vance home….November 9…11:30 a.m.

Matt could not just let this go. How dare Lina bring that abomination against God into his home! He needed to confront her about it. He knew she was home. Lina had left her shoes by the door. Walking across the hall he knocked on her door, waiting for a response. There was no reply. Matt knocked harder, trying to keep his cool. He was grateful she had saved Samantha, but she could not take advantage of his hospitality like this. He tried to open the door. She must have locked it. He reached up above the door and retrieved the skeleton key. Popping the lock open and slowly opening the door. His eyes adjusted to the low light in the room, noticing something on the bed. Flipping on the light switch he walked over to the bed.

"Lina wake up. We need to have a talk." The lump in the bed did not move. As uncomfortable as it made him matt prodded the lump, finding that it was much too soft to be a person. Prodding a little harder the object continued to give. Pulling the blankets he found that it was just the blankets wrapped up in a deceptive shape. "Lina where are you?" He was getting annoyed with this. He wanted to talk to her, and he wanted to talk to her now. He moved over to the closet door, rapping his knuckles to signify his entry before opening the closet. She wasn't there. He repeated the process for the bathroom door and she was still nowhere to be found. The only place she could be was the balcony. Pushing the heavy drapes aside he saw her sitting on a yoga mat, her headphones on and her iPod sitting next to her. But when he noticed the bruises along her back under her tank top he felt his anger shift from her to the vampire. He was going to beat the bloody hell out of that vampire. The bruises looked like someone had taken a sack of grapefruits and just repeatedly brought them down on her back. Opening the balcony door he pulled her ear bud out, startling her. "What happened to you?" It came out harsher than he meant it. Lina turned to look at him, turning her iPod off.

"Oh…Sean kidnapped me on Halloween, beat me up, and that's about it." Matt had to think about that for a moment. She had dated a werewolf before she moved, which had caused this whole mess in the first place. And if she had not caused this whole mess in the first place he would not have known Integra. Well, that wasn't completely true. His aunt would still have tried to set him up with Integra, but Integra would not have had any reason to be interested in him if it was not for meeting him professionally. Shaking his head he cleared it of that useless train of thought. Lina was sitting there with grisly purple, blue, and yellowing splotches all over her shoulders and probably her back.

"That cannot be the entirety of the story. I want the truth Lina. I may be grateful for what you did for my family, but I will not just let you bring monsters into my home. First that werewolf, and now your vampire boyfriend. I deserve some answers Lina."

"So you know Vlad is really Dracula then."

* * *

Carfax…7:43 p.m.

Alucard woke from his coffin, feeling deliciously refreshed after having eaten his fill the night before. Opening the coffin Alucard enjoyed the darkness from the fading moon, seeing the wonderful stars struggling against the pollution of city lights. Alucard had few soft spots, but the stars were one of them. Ever since he had become a vampire, no, even before he became a vampire, the stars had been a source of hope. Looking over the expanse of the decrepit chapel he saw the Baskerville hound laying at the base stair of the raised platform that would have been the altar during Carfax Abbey's years of use. He thought it was still in the lowest dungeons of the Hellsing manor. The beast turned its head to look up at him, its red eyes blinking at him as its head tilted to the side. Something was off. Something was very off with this. Getting up from the coffin Alucard watched his hellhound carefully. It raised itself up and stared at him. Alucard reached out to order the beast to merge back with the rest of his familiars. It refused.

"So…you couldn't get my body and turned to that of my hellhound. Are you hoping she's an animal lover?"

"That's a polite way of saying beastiality." The beast opened its mouth as the words reverberated through the room. "I have decided to borrow Baskerville for a few days. I want to see if she's more receptive to an actual dogs' behavior than your own." The beast walked up and sat in Alucard's chair.

"She's not going to be interested. She is planning on dumping me, and by association, you." Alucard walked up and yanked on the dog's neck, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Now why don't you just go back to where you existed before and leave me in peace." Alucard tossed his hellhound across the room, the beast easily jumping away from the wall before it struck.

"Laş. (1)" That single word brought everything to a screeching halt in Alucard's mind. Where had that come from? "Eşti un laş. Sunteţi în căutarea pentru cea mai uşoară cale dintr-o relaţie. În loc de a fi fericit ea sunt o cale de a fi independent sunteţi îngrijorat de ceva care a existat înainte. Ei deja ştiţi că sunteţi de gând să faci lucruri de nedescris. Să Integra ei au iluzia de putere. Şi să ne-au Lina."

"I don't want her, there are plenty of other young virgins for me to take my pick of, and many of them are much more refined, beautiful, and respectful than she is. And I do not need anyone. I will be perfectly fine alone. I have been for so long." The dog snickered harshly at Alucard.

"În ultimii câţiva ani, sute ciudat aţi locuit într-un conac cu oamenii care au fost în mod constant interactioneaza cu tine. Chiar şi în perioada sederii dumneavoastra ati putea asculta şi de ceas ca s-au dus despre viaţa lor. Când ne-am trăit în castelul nostru am avut aceste mirese, ca vag minte cum au fost, cu cât mai moale ca sanii au avut, cu prezentarea lor bine manierat. Au fost suntem singuri? (3)"

"Physically no. But mentally we were. And being surrounded by enemies is not what I consider company." Alucard answered back. The edge in his voice was gone. There was no reason to argue with himself. He was the one in charge. He looked up to the night sky and moved closer to his possessed dog.

"A fi cu ea ai plecat mintal singur? (4)" Alucard looked down, finding his hellhound gone. Turning Alucard found it once more perched on his chair. If alcohol still had any effect on him he would have been in a bar drinking. This was a pain in the ass. All his current problems were all because of Lina.

"Why does it matter? What does being with her do for you?" The dog jumped off the chair and paced across the floor around him.

"It is between me and her." Alucard sat in his chair, glaring at the dog as his hand reached for the guns in his pockets. Which were no longer there.

"You keep saying that. I am you, remember?" The snide remark made the dog glare at him. It marched up and bared it fangs, it heckles rising and the second head sprouting from its neck. "Going to attack me? It would be the only time a suicide has be completed by an external force. I'm sure it would be fascinating to learn how it works. Come on then. Bite me. Rip out my throat."

"Mă dezamăgeşti. (5)."

**Chapter End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Coward.
> 
> 2\. You are a coward. You are looking for the easy way out of a relationship. Instead of being happy she has a way to be independent you are worried about something that existed before. They already know you are going to do unspeakable things. Let Integra have her illusion of control. And let us have Lina.
> 
> 3\. For the past hundred some odd years you have lived in a mansion with humans who were constantly interacting with you. Even in your confinement you could listen and watch as they went about their lives. When we lived in our castle we had those brides, as dim witted as they were, with as soft breasts as they had, with their well mannered submission. Were we alone?
> 
> 4\. Has being with her left you mentally alone?
> 
> 5\. You disappoint me.


	22. Record

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The time skips happen after Alucard/Dracula gets poisoned, and are supposed to mirror how Dracula tells the doctor he can't remember things in order, so we keep hoping between different time lines of events: Modern day time line, the 1400's, and the aftermath of the Dracula Novel. Hope that clears things up for everyone.

Vance home…November 11…8 a.m.

Samantha could not bring herself to go to school today. She wanted to talk to someone, and her therapist was no help. She had begged her parents to let her stay with Matt. Matt had agreed to let her spend the night and promised her parents he would take her to school in the next day. As much as she loved her cousin, she did not want to talk with him. She wanted to talk with Lina's creepy boyfriend. He was always hanging around Lina, so chances were she would get the chance to talk with him. If he was like her then he would be able to help her. The car pulled up to the curb and she was already feeling just a bit better. Pulling on her braided hair Samantha snuggled close to her mother, looking up and giving her mom the kind of smile that only children could. Janette smiled back and kissed Samantha's forehead, leaving behind a lipstick stain. Her mother gently wiped the stain away.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to school today sweetie?" Samantha nodded emphatically. If they did not know their daughter so well they would think that she was trying to avoid a test or project, but this was an emotional problem. And the school had confirmed she was not missing anything today. "Okay. Call us if you want to come home. I love you." Janette hugged Samantha before letting the child exit the car and watched her go through the gate, knock at the door and Matthew waving as he let Samantha in. Samantha quickly hugged her older cousin.

"Playing hooky? Not like you at all Sammy. What is bothering you?" Matt asked her playfully.

"I just did not want to be at school today." She was trying to balance her firm position to not talk on the subject while trying to not be rude. Matt gave her an understanding smile as he shouldered her overnight bag and led her upstairs to Lina's room. Knocking on the door he waited for the response to come in.

"Come in." Samantha opened the door and found Lina lying on her stomach, ice packs on her back. Lina smiled brighter when she saw Samantha, waving a bit but not getting up from the bed. "Hey there, sorry I can't come over there and hug you. School holiday?" Samantha shook her head. Why was Lina putting ice on her back? Matt set Samantha's bag near the wall.

"I wanted to stay here today." Samantha came closer and sat on Lina's bed. Looking she noticed the bruise marks. "What happened to you?"

"I got hurt. It's fine though, their healing up, just needed to ice them for a while to help bring down the swelling. Have anything you want to do today?" Lina slowly sat up, collecting the ice packs so they would not start leaving water spots on the bed. Samantha shook her head; she really did not have anything planned. "I'm sure Matt has all sorts of fun ideas for you two to do together." Getting up from the bed Lina pulled on a sweater, hiding the bruises from sight.

"We haven't been to the Zoo for a long time. That sound like fun Samantha?" Matt asked, carefully avoiding looking at Lina. He was still pissed about her bringing that vampire around his cousin. Samantha thought it over, it would be nice to go visit the London Zoo. Her favorite exhibits were in the aquarium part of the zoo. She loved fish.

"I would like that."

* * *

Windsor Castle, St Georges Hall… March 10 1912

"His Majesty George V, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India calls before the council gathered here Abraham Van Helsing. Come before the Crown." The herald cried. All eyes present moved to rest on the elderly man at the end of the hall and his family gathered around him. Van Helsing's age had come upon him quickly after the passing of Abigail, the wrinkles on his face much more pronounced and his hair going grey. With dignified steps Abraham walked up the hall toward his Majesty, feeling the eyes of the other lords on him. These eleven men in addition to the King were the true heads of the British government; the parliament was all a show for the populace. Once close enough Abraham bowed, wincing as his knee started to act up. The only thing he did not enjoy about England was the weather; it was harsh on his joints. "Kneel before His Majesty." Adjusting himself Van Helsing did as requested, grateful that he was at least given a pillow to help alleviate the stress on his knee.

"Abraham Van Helsing, for services beyond the call of duty for a British citizen, and even more so a man of foreign birth, in defending the Crown and the Church of England from an unholy threat. In defeating the vampire king Dracula you have shown incredible skill in combat, and abundance of knowledge in fields not understood. For sparing the vampire's existence and taking him under your care you show mercy of unprecedented levels and a most generous heart. It is for these reasons that I proudly bestow upon you and your heirs knighthood in the Ordre du Saint-Graal. You and your heirs shall fill the last rank in the Table Round as the defenders of the realm from all threats that would terrorize the people, the Crown, and the Church of England by supernatural means, or that are abominations before the eyes of our Lord." Abraham bowed his head lower as he listened to King George V spoke. He had not expected such an honor. King George V stood and placed a hand on Van Helsing's shoulder. "Do you Abraham Van Helsing, swear fealty to the Crown and to the Church of England. Will you defend these lands, and its people as your own. Will you serve in silence and with chivalry, to uphold the laws given to us by the King of Kings, the Lord Almighty in Heaven. And to serve for as long as God may will it?"

"For as long as God wills it I shall fulfill these duties asked of me. I swear to serve and defend the Crown and the Church of England, pledging my fealty to both." One of the other lords moved to the King's side, offering the sword. King George V pulled the sword free of the sheath.

"I hereby dub you Sir Abraham Hellsing, Knight of the Convention of Twelve." Abraham felt the blade come to rest on his shoulders, a small, sad smile on his lips that was hidden from the men around him. "I swear my fealty that as long as I am seated on the throne, till I die or the world end to protect you and your family." Abraham could feel hands on his shoulders, the other men now kneeling alongside him.

"Together we shall serve for the greater good of the country, Crown, and Church. To uphold the values we hold dear. Long live the King, long live Chivalry, long live Britain." Their voices rang out, echoing off the walls of the stately hall. With a permissive nod from his Majesty the eleven others once more let Abraham kneel alone.

"For use in the public realm you and your heirs will be known as the Baronets of Wingates, allowed to keep all land and such from the Earldom of Godalming, but the title shall be stricken from the records. The public can not know that the novel is based in any truth." The others murmured in agreement with his Majesty's reasoning.

"Your Majesty, I am humbled by the honor you bestow upon me. But there is one request I must ask of you. My wife was unwell in her mind, and the disorder drove her to take her life. Please, grant my wife forgiveness for this transgression." The King gave a smile, placing both hands on Abraham's shoulders.

"I am no Pope, I do not forgive nor pardon. If your wife was unwell, but lived a righteous life before her disorder, then the Lord will take pity on her and give her a place by your side good Sir Hellsing. She shall be given all funeral rites befitting your new rank, and my full prayers. Now stand Sir Hellsing." Abraham slowly rose off his knee, hiding the discomfort and pain he was in. It was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders, knowing that his wife had been more than righteous enough to gain access to Heaven. Down at the end of the Hall, past the suits of armor, the banners, the high arching windows, and the rich red carpet stood his daughter Mary Holmwood, her husband Lord Arthur Holmwood, and his grandson, soon to be heir, Caleb, now Caleb Wingates Hellsing. Hanging high above them in the Hall was a bat, its beady eyes glowing red as it watched the old man receive the honors. Mercy indeed! Dracula was taken captive to serve the doctor's desires to understand the human mind. Dracula was nothing more than a specimen, like the butterfly that had its wings pinned to the board so it could be kept on display! Dracula could not watch another moment of this.

* * *

Hellsing Manor…11 a.m.

Seras knocked on the doors of Integra's office, waiting for a response. When none came she knocked again, just a tab bit louder, still no reply. Opening the door Seras peeked into the room, finding it empty. Where on earth would Sir Integra be if not in her office? Closing the door Seras ran over it in her mind. Maybe Integra had gone down to the shooting range. Maxwell had definitely hit a sore spot with her a few days ago. Taking the stairs two at a time Seras mulled over her lot in life. She tried hard not to dwell on these trains of thought, but being down in the dungeons the past few days hunting the creatures that lived there had made her think more and more about her own role. Was she really any different to this organization than the horrid little trolls and other various creatures she had shot? Sure she was fed and got to interact with people, but when she boiled it down, she was just another monster that was living in the basement, easily disposable when she was considered more of a nuisance than a benefit.

"Miss Victoria, up so early? Something you require?" Walter was walking down the hallway from where the Vatican attaché office was. Sir Integra would not be pleased with the news. They wanted to transfer Anderson and some priest in training to an orphanage outside of London. No doubt Integra would request MI-5 to do a little digging into why the sudden transfer. At least Section 13 had bothered to 'ask'. They would still transfer Anderson, but now Hellsing had notice.

"I need to report to Sir Integra that the special task she ordered is finished. She wasn't in her office though. Do you know where she is?" He nodded and thought about where Integra would be. He might just send Seras with the message and continue on with his other duties. He pulled out the planner he kept in his pocket, checking the schedule to see if Integra might have something planned that had escaped his memory. No, Sir Integra should be in her office.

"Have you checked anywhere else?" Seras shook her head no. "Check the target range then, and when you see her give her these. They're from Iscariot." Handing Seras the papers Walter quickly walked further down the hallway, heading toward the development room to work on some new weapons. Walter was always fond of working in the development room, ever since he was a young boy. His mother said it was just like his grandfather, always tinkering around with guns, his own wires, and other sorts of weapons. He rarely thought of his mother, she had died as when he was just a young boy.

Seras was left standing there with the paperwork, and she felt her stomach clench. Whatever was in these was definitely not something she wanted to hand to Integra, but it had been put on her shoulders. With a defeated sigh Seras made her way down the staircase and toward the shooting range, trying to keep a smile on her face. As she passed through the hallway towards the back entrance to the Manor she heard what sounded like someone in one of the unused rooms of the ground floor. Opening it she was surprised to find Integra practicing her fencing. The target had a picture of Maxwell pinned to it, and it was receiving more than enough wounds to be considered dead. Seras knocked on the door, hoping to not startle Integra. Sir Integra turned on her heel, eyeing Seras with her normal stoic look, all her sword play barely making her sweat.

"What is it?" Seras took a deep breath, coming further into the room and saluting.

"Sir Integra, I finished clearing out the lower levels, nothing left alive down there. And Walter gave me this to give to you." She held out the file for Integra, hoping to be dismissed before she read the papers inside. Integra sheathed her blade, not bothering to take the file.

"Very good Private Victoria, you go about your normal duties after you drop that file off in my office. If you need me I will be in the dungeons. I trust the lights down there are still functioning?" Integra put her coat on once more, moving to go and explore the lowest part of the manor.

"I didn't check…Maybe take a flashlight just in case." Seras offered as Integra left the room. Once move Seras walked up the stairs to drop off the file in Sir Integra's office. Integra was pushing down the excitement that was bubbling up inside her. She had never been to this section of the dungeons; the level above it was where Alucard had been sealed off when she had come seeking rescue from her uncle.

* * *

Carfax…11:55 a.m.

Alucard was buried deep in his dreams, the sun high in the sky hidden behind the traditional London fog. The hellhound was staring at the coffin, very much awake. The red eyes were studying the black box carefully. A red tongue darted out to lick at its jowls as a person would their lips. Gracefully standing upon its legs it stalked closer to the sleeping vampire inside. There was only one chance to get this right or else wait till dusk. He could feel the sun rising higher in the sky; it was a few more moments till he could pull this off. The hellhound had been gorging itself on blood, collecting its own source of energy. The first strike of noon, a wicked grin crossed the dog's mouth, the snout shortening. Each toll of the bell and the hound's body shifted into Dracula's own form. At the twelfth toll of the noon Dracula stood to his full height and stretched, getting used to the feel of a human form again that was his own…for now. As soon as Alucard woke up he knew he would be once more subject to the other's demands. Best not waste daylight then. With a wicked smirk Dracula left, his armor unnaturally silent as he moved, and the cape billowing out behind him even though the air was still. With his dark brown locks draped around his strong features he moved his hand up to run it along his facial hair. He looked much like he did for his portrait, bushy mustache and all.

He easily moved past the walls of Carfax, uncaring about the strange looks he was being given when he was marching down the street, a quick glance into his eyes was enough to force them to the edges of the walkway and their eyes downcast with terror of catching his eyes once more. He decided that perhaps he was drawing to much attention, darting down an alleyway and then darting off with vampiric speed down the middle of the streets, a flash of light as the sun reflected off his armor and a blur of red behind him as the cape flared. In a few short minutes he hopped the fence into the Vance yard and walked gracefully toward the front door. He was still a nobleman, and he would not simply enter a person's home. He had impaled people for such offences. Elegantly he rasped his knuckles on the door. Waiting a few moments he listened, finding that the only person in the home was up on the third floor. Lina. Stepping around the home he looked up at her balcony to find her busily hunched over some sort of flower pot, humming a sweet little tune. He could smell the fresh earth she must be using to garden from her balcony. A less sinister smirk came to him, and he watched her from below, admiring the way she simply enjoyed her own company. Her hair was pulled into a bun, leaving her neck exposed for his viewing pleasure. A smile turned up the corners of her lips with little effort, as if it was a permanent fixture on her youthful face. His own smirk fell into a pained smile, memories are bittersweet indeed. With no effort he began to walk up the wall, the cape hanging down behind him as he ascended.

He watched her from behind now as he came level with the balcony and moved to lean against the frame of the door, still not making a sound. Dracula watched Lina as she was busy in her potting; listening to the rhythm less tune she was humming, liking the sweetness and feminine pitch of her voice. He had always been drawn to that, the sweet girls. His lips pulled back into a feral grin. How appropriate it was for him to be named 'Dragon' with taste like his in women. The long white fabric skirt she wore was rippling gently with the slight breeze, and her bangs were tucked precariously behind her ears, threatening to fall and frame her face once more. Dracula studied her, analyzing every movement, every note she hummed, comparing her to Setareh and finding their similarities and differences. This girl was not as refined as the princess he had known, but how could he expect her to be when she was raised in an era of liberal standards. Lina reached out blindly behind her, searching for the bag of seeds she desired to plant. Kneeling down behind her he placed the package of sage in her fingers, making sure he brushed against hers. A wonderfully pleasant tingle of familiarity washed over him.

"Bună ziua mea un pic, m-ai pierdut? (1)" He could feel Lina stiffen at his voice, the hand brushing hers moving to gently hold her wrist to effectively keep her from fleeing him. "V-am ratat. (2)" His gauntlet encased fingers were rubbing circles on her skin as his other hand moved to trace her jaw line, feeling her tremble and could practically hear the cogs in her head turning as she thought of what to do. He let a chuckle escape him. Some things never changed. "Sunteţi încă tremura la atingerea mea. Este frica sau o excitare meu? (3)" Lina's heart beat speed up with his husky voice. Dracula could hear her heart pounding and smell her scent wafting from her in waves as her pulse raced. Oh how wonderful she would taste if only her fear was not maring the wonderful flavors. "Vino acum printesa, nu fi atât de nepoliticos la un prieten vechi. Tu eşti în fata asta. I-au luat concediu de incarnare mele; la fel ca cele mai bune poti cu a ta. (4)" He leaned in closer, his cold breath playing at the base of her neck, his lips and fangs closer than Lina could stand. "Ai încă nu e dispus mine, chiar şi după toate aceste secole meu dulce Setareh? Poate nu vi se pare în tine să vorbească cu mine? Sau aveţi nevoie de mine pentru a ajuta la desen te va scoate? (5)" Lina whimpered and shut her eyes tightly when he pressed his cold lips to her neck, bracing herself for pain. Dracula chuckled and instead surprised her when he found a sensitive spot upon her neck and licked it, her lips parting in surprise and her back arching as a wave of warmth jolted through her, pleasure melting her resistance as if she had never had any at all. How could such a simple act feel so wonderful? "Îţi aminteşti de asta? Sunteţi atât de iubit, atunci când am descoperit acest loc special. Sunt încântat pentru a vedea care le-a reportat pentru fata asta. Ştiţi, există atât de puţine femei care au această reacţie acelaşi lucru? Am incercat cu atât de multe, dar toate sunt o dezamăgire, comparativ cu tine. (6)" He kept teasing her, licking and pressing feather light touches upon her neck to draw out more of her beautiful reactions and his prize. "Setareh-mi răspunzi, chiar dacă am dezgust, te rog găsi în tine cel puţin lasă-mă să explic. (8)"

Lina was week in the knees, her face flushed and her mouth parted as small little sounds of pleasure escaped her. She was like putty in his hands. She hated this and marveled at it at the same time. Each word he spoke was drenched in layers of emotions that she couldn't comprehend, but some part of her soul knew those emotions as if they were carved into her essence and she started to cry, her small shoulders trembling and tears spilling from her eyes, flowing freely down her face and leaving damp spots on her skirt. Her heart clenched tightly as if she was being stabbed, her lungs tightening in pain and she felt like she was going to suffocate. "Please stop…whatever you are saying please stop. You're hurting me…please stop it hurts…it hurts so bad…" In her mind it was like broken shards of glass were being dragged around, and worst of all her past lives were screaming in her mind, as if they were dying all over again. "Stop…stop it…please stop it...you're going to kill me." The bruises still on her body hit her full force from the strain and she collapsed. Her mind still active and awake as her flesh was in agony. He pulled her small frame to his chest, petting her hair softly and she finally was able to look into Dracula's face. A mask of worry barely hid his frustration and disappointment with the girl in his arms. Lina tried to collect her breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly as the pain slowly ebbed from her and it felt like everything settled. There were only four of her past lives that were unaffected from the strange sensations, busy going about and trying to right what had gone awry within her.

"I did not mean to cause you such pain girl." It was the first time she had ever heard this version of Alucard speak English. His accent was not as thick as she was expecting it to be, but there were the noticeable differences. "Can you walk or do you need my assistance?" If she was not still so disoriented she would have been taken aback at the sudden change in him. One minute he couldn't keep his voice from sounding like it belonged in every girl's sex fantasies to suddenly being polite and reserved, as if she were not worthy of hearing his passion. It ruffled her feathers in all the wrong ways, but her terror kept her tongue in check. She knew all too well what he did when someone displeased him or questioned him. Gingerly Lina tried to pull herself away and stand, finding her footing week and looking up with timid eyes at the man still kneeling by her. Her lips moved as she tried to find her voice. He was much more intimidating than Alucard was, or was it simply that she was familiar with Alucard that made this man before her seem all the more threatening. He seemed to understand without her words that she needed him, and he rose to his feet easily slipping his arm around her middle to let her lean her weight against him. He lead her into the room and toward her disheveled bed, her sheets bunched up and it looked like she had not made it in days. Letting her get settled he looked around the room, taking note of the only chair in the room at her desk. He sat down, looking so painfully out of place in the childishness of her room. "You are her…aren't you?" Dracula did not waste his words, his eyes boring into her. He wanted the truth, she could feel it. It was like a desperate plea for her to be the woman he sought even though he was much too proud to actually voice it. That threw her for a loop, why would he want to talk after what happened. Lina thought about how best to answer him. Dracula would not like the answer, and she frankly did not like thinking about it.

"Setareh…I'm her as much as Alucard is you." His lips were still pursed in thought. "You were trying to force her out of me weren't you?" Lina asked softly, not blaming him nor justifying him, simply trying to be sure. He gave her a small nod, and Lina shifted uncomfortably on her bed, feeling a sudden chill. That explained what had happened, her soul had reacted violently to him trying to force Setareh from her. "Why do you want to speak to her?" He studied her for a few moments, what he wanted to discuss was a guarded secret for him.

"It's not something that you need worry yourself about girl, it is between me and her." Lina struggled to not frown at his words. He was not using her name. Alucard sure made fun of her and called her names, but he used her name. Lina shifted on her bed, her fingers still smudged with dirt. "If you would please let me speak with Setareh I will give you some vampire energy to heal those bruises. If you can borrow it from my lesser incarnation then I should be able to provide." Lina felt a little insulted, she may be upset with Alucard, but that was no reason for Dracula to talk trash about Alucard. Good lord, what was she getting herself in the middle of?

"I hate to disappoint you but that's just not possible. No one can talk with Setareh. She's not like you or any of my other past lives." He glared at her, suspecting that she was making excuses. "I know what happened Dracula." His eyes narrowed even more, glowing hellfire red as if he planned on making her back out of what he thought was her bluff. As much as it made Lina tremble she did not recant her words. "I have Setareh's memories. She's the only one of me that there is no person to talk with; there is no personality, just memories. I'm the closest you'll ever get to her now. After what happened she fell to pieces, she just didn't want to exist anymore. I'm sorry." She tried to hide her fear of how he was going to react. She expected him to shred through her like she was tissue paper. Instead he just stared at her, his red eyes boring into her own and he was attacking her mind, forcing himself inside of her. It felt like he had her pinned for days, maybe weeks when the horrible soul piercing stare ended a few minutes later. Once more he stood regally, his broad shoulders under the armor flexing as if he was trying to shake off the weight.

"I am sorry to have troubled you then. I will take my leave." He moved to the open balcony, his mind lost in thought. Lina felt her heart clenching in despair to see him leaving her so soon. This was the person she had been infatuated with since she was young, the man she always hoped would come to her, and here he was leaving. Before Lina could gain control of herself she felt her lips moving, watching him with chocolate brown eyes.

"You can talk with me." The air went still as the words left her lips and he slowly turned his head to peer at her from the corner of his eye, not turning to face her, but no longer retreating from her presence. It was torture for him, Lina and Setareh felt so similar, her energy, her voice, and her looks. She was gazing at him with hope in her eyes, he could feel it, and he brought a hand to run through his hair. "Like I said…I'm as close to her as you will ever get. Maybe you could tell me what you wanted to tell her. Who knows…maybe it would help us both." Lina was not as proud as him, the hint of pleading heavier in her voice. With a soft smile turning the corners of his lips Dracula turned to her, seeing her looking at him with hopeful eyes, her lips tugged into that disarming smile, and her timid posture. A hollow chuckle left his throat.

"Foarte bine printesa, voi lua oferta. Nu am putut nega cu care se confruntă. (8)" Lina stood and looked around her room, ashamed to have the regal man in her room with it in such a state. He could see her distress, ignoring the pile of unfolded clothes he passed over as he came to her side. "It is not polite for a man to be in a woman's chambers, it would be best if we moved our discussion to a less intimate setting." She smiled at him for his gracious offer to ease her discomfort. She locked her balcony doors, but left the curtains drawn so there was natural light flooding the room. He opened the door and let her pass, every bit the noble man he was. "How many of her memories do you have?" Lina looked back at Dracula as she guided him down the living room.

"I remember her life better than my own sometimes." She said it with what sounded like a bit of resentment. Yet Dracula smiled at the new knowledge. "Can I get you anything to drink or nibble on?" The question was more out of protocol to be a polite and providing hostess then her believing he actually would need anything. Lina thought she was lucky that right now she was the only one home, she doubted any of her friends would understand why she was doing this, she was questioning it herself to be honest.

"No, I shall attend to my own needs." As they reached the bottom of the stairs he took her hand, assisting her to sit before removing his cape, draping it over the back of the chair. Lina had not noticed till now the blade secured at his waist, her eyes drawn to it and studying it. He noticed and smirked. She really was too much like Setareh. It was an awkward silence. How should she begin this discussion? "What would you prefer for me to address you by?" He asked gently as he removed his belt and blade, securing it around the back of the chair.

"Um…Lina I guess. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable." She shifted nervously, her hand in her lap and her fingers twitching. She looked away from him, not able to stand the eye contact. A laugh rumbled from Dracula, the sound penetrating the rest of the room and made her blush. Her eyes once more were drawn to his weapon, finding it as safer point to relate to than the man before her. "What should I call you?" The last thing she wanted to do was disrespect him. He chuckled once more; amused at her behavior.

"You shall address me as Count for now Lina." He threaded his finger together, staring at her with keen interest. "What should we discuss I wonder. There are so many topics." It was strange, staring at a man in armor across from her. "Perhaps we should start with a simple topic. Do you know the first time Setareh and I met?"

* * *

translations

1 Hello my little one, have you missed me?

2\. I have missed you.

3\. You still tremble at my touch. Is it fear or excitement my little one?

4\. Come now princess, do not be so rude to your old friend. Surely you are within this girl. I have taken leave of my incarnation; do as best you can with yours.

5\. Do you still loath me even after all these centuries my sweet little Setareh? Can you not find it within yourself to speak with me? Or do you need me to assist in drawing you out?

6\. Do you remember this? You so loved when I discovered this particular spot. I am thrilled to see it has carried over to this girl. Do you know there are so few women that have this same reaction? I have tried with so many, yet they are all a disappointment compared with you.

7\. Setareh answer me, even if I disgust you please find it in yourself to at least let me explain.

8\. Very well princess, I will take your offer. I could never deny that face.

* * *

Hellsing Headquarters…Lowest dungeons 5:38 p.m.

"And yet again nothing." Integra was not pleased. She had been searching through the shelves of books for hours. Normally she would be delighted at finding the treasure trove of books. Nearly every one of these books had been written by the Hellsing staff of those early years in the organizations history, filled with copious hours of hard work and dedication to studying the occult. Only the best of these books had Abraham's personal signature of approval, other looked like they had been in the process of being revised. There were the folklore books, any reference material and history books from across the globe in different rooms. She was tempted to sit and spend hours looking over the lab notes on many of these experiments. She just did not understand what had happened to basically leave these rooms in the state they were in. Any minute she was expecting Abraham or Seward walk into a room and pick up where they had left off. No, she must remain focused. She needed those blasted journals! Turning the light off in one of the rooms she began moving further down the particular hallway she was in. Integra would have to congratulate Seras on not only disposing of the creatures down here but for also cleaning away the corpses. "These journal's had best be worth this effort." She grumbled a few unladylike curses. Integra came to the next door, noticing that the lock was already undone. "So this must be the room she hid in." Walking into the room Integra flipped the light switch and could see where the dust layers had been disturbed when Alucard and Lina had been here. Moving to the back row of books she continued to find hidden jewels that would no doubt be used in the future after her current hunt was finished. This room yielded no more results than the ten prior rooms. Sitting upon a chair she rubbed at the bridge of her nose, taking her glasses off to clean them. Pulling out the map from her pocket she looked at the remaining rooms for her to check. At least another fifteen rooms needed to be searched. With a sigh Integra stood up and left this room continuing down the hallway toward the next dark arts lab. How Abraham managed this many rooms was a mystery. Not only would he and Seward have had to screen all the employees, but they would have had to actually ensure the accuracy of any of the data collected. She had the same success with the other rooms down the hallway. Walking once more to the central hub she noticed that Alucard's chair was still in the center of it all. The small coffee table next to his chair looked so unassuming, but when he had lived here this was his domain and everything held a presence and power. She moved to the chair and sat down. What would it be like to be him? How did it feel to be a king with no kingdom? Tracing a gloved finger over the lines in the coffee table Integra huffed at the dust that gathered, flicking it off.

"Where could these blasted journals be? I've searched high and low, but nothing. Hopefully Abraham did not take them with him to the grave." She stared at the space around her, not unnerved at all to be within the darkness. As she sat there, her own words echoing back to her as if hushed voices were mimicking her. It hit her like a bolt of lightning. Alucard would have made sure those journals were protected, and the only place he considered safe enough for his true possessions would be his grave, the place he felt was the tomb of his old self. Pulling out the map once more she started to look at what the other rooms were. The labs wouldn't contain any spot remotely like that. Only the room where Abraham created Alucard would contain a spot that would feel like a proper burial place. Dissection rooms, that was close but too many other creatures would have been in those rooms. Storage rooms were nowhere remotely close being the places she was seeking. Perhaps the room was not on the map? A room erased or never included so no one would find the vampire without being shown. Well then Integra needed to find a room that did not belong. Moving down one of the corridors she had skipped prior Integra made sure to study the walls, trying to make out any difference in it. The doorway down here was a secret. It would only make sense that the way to the vampire would be one as well. Every so often she would press against an odd stone, trying to force a clue out from somewhere. It was hours before she found herself back in the central hub, her lips pulled back in her best attempts to snarl in frustration. Her stomach protested at being denied food for so long, but she would not give. She was close she could feel it. The object of her hunt was just out of reach and she would not give in to basic needs just yet. Seated once more upon Alucard's chair she massaged her temples, pulling out a cigarette to try and ease her nerves. She had been so preoccupied she had not smoked the entire time she was down here. "What do I know about the way that bloody Vampire thinks?" Alucard would definitely protect the room he saw as his grave and birthplace. When Alucard had not been terrorizing his human neighbors above him or out enjoying a kill he had been here. He had said there were other creatures down here so it would be safe to assume he would have protected this spot. To protect it he would have needed a vantage point on which to observe it. Looking around Integra tried to think of where Alucard would have had constant watch over the journals. Integra tried to adjust her height in it to match Alucard's. It was at the base of the stairs, but the only distinguishing mark was the blood stains. The ceiling was normal, and the hallways held no special rooms according to the map, and she had searched the rooms in them already. Maybe she was approaching this the wrong way. Maybe it was not constant watch, but constantly above. Rising from the chair Integra went to her hands and knees, looking under the throne like chair. She wouldn't move it in case she was wrong and needed to rethink the location. It seemed normal enough but then again nothing with the vampire is what it seems. Reaching out under the chair she felt along the stones, tracing them carefully and her cigarette long forgotten on the mysteriously damp stones. Metal! Integra felt a metal ring! A smirk grew on her lips. "Took me bloody long enough to figure this out." Standing once more Integra carefully moved the chair and table, making sure to mark their prior position so they could be returned. As much as she disliked the vampire, she had a begrudging respect for him. The metal ring stared up at Integra from its place on the floor, beckoning her through. Removing her jacket Integra grasped the ring firmly and gave it an experimental pull. It groaned, but there was no movement from the stones. Increasingly she pulled and tugged with more force upon the metal ring, the stones finally giving under her insistence and creaking open. The opening was barely two feet wide and was narrow, only a ladder leading down into impenetrable darkness. "I wish I could be more surprised by this."

After living for so long in the manor and with the vampire she had grown so used to these kinds of situations she had completely lost her fear of them. "It would have been a refreshing change of pace if this had been simple." She pulled the hatch back completely and weighed it down with the table. "I'm not going to be trapped in my own home." Leaving her jacket strewn across Alucard's chair she descended into the blackness, her flashlight pocketed till she reached the bottom. After what felt like twenty rungs on the ladder she felt her feet come into contact with the floor. It was different from the laid stones on the dungeon floors above her; the floor was unpolished, only smoothed from being walked. "How deep does this bloody dungeon go?" Pulling the flash light out and adjusting her glasses she examined the space around her. There where torch racks on the walls, and it seemed that the remains of the last torches were still in them. It was not far to the wooden door at the end of the hall, the heavy iron lock would have intimidated others. But Integra was a Hellsing, so the lock was just another nuisance. The symbol on the door did not even faze Integra; it just confirmed her findings that this was the room she was seeking. Pulling out the ring of keys she searched for one that would fit the lock. Luckily one did. If she had needed to hunt down the key to this room she would have simply pulled out her gun and blown the lock to smithereens. The wooden door creaked open with protest, the hinges had not moved in at least seventy years. If Alucard had ever visited he could have easily just walked into the room using his shadows. An odor brutally smacked Integra across the face as she opened the door, the stench of death, decay and what she could only assume was pure hatred washed over her in a wave. This was definitely the place. Rubbing at her eyes Integra looked around her for some source of light, fighting back the tears from how horrendous the stench was. She left the door open to try and air it out, putting her hand to her mouth to try filtering the odor. Flipping the light switch she felt horror for the first time in years. There was blood staining the entire floor. Not a thin layer of it either. It was inches thick and cracking under her feet. Claw marks along the stones on every wall and the back of the door was reinforced with steel, shivers running down her spin seeing the claw marks there as well. The instruments in here belonged in those horror movies, sinister looking hooks and knives among rusted clamps and shackles, bindings and hooks from the ceiling that must have come from a slaughterhouse. The shelves along the walls were filled with bottles that contained unknown substances, but some were still glowing faintly. The stone and metal slab table in the center of the room was just as disturbingly coated in blood. Integra was thankful she had not eaten in so long; otherwise she may have become sick. Walking out of the room she took deep breaths of the stale dungeon air, finding it a relief from the oppressive torture chamber. Composing herself once more Integra bravely walked into the room, becoming the Iron Maiden and no longer being moved by the appearance of this room. There was only one place in the room not covered in blood and that was the small desk near the door. Walking over to the desk she picked up the only picture she had ever seen of the hunting party and their families. There was no mistaking the persons in the photograph; it was just strange that she had never seen them together. She would bring this photo up to her office. It deserved to be liberated from this tomb. Opening the desk drawer she was rewarded for her hunting efforts with six journals all neatly packed together. Collecting the journals and the photo she left the space, turning the light off and locking the door behind her, ensuring that the foulness she had experienced did not follow her. Once back in the lower dungeon Integra closed the hatch and reset the chair and table. She felt victorious. She had something over the vampire, her grandfather's journals. She had to restrain herself from going to Carfax to fling them in his smug aristocratic face. Examining her watch she was shocked to find that it was already one in the morning. She could hear the mirror opening and watched as the light from the level above flooded in and then a silhouette come down the staircase.

"Sir Integra? Are you alright down here?" It was Seras, her red eyes glowing slightly in the darkness, but more as one would see a nightlight than the evil that came from Alucard's. "Sir Integra? Do you need any assistance?" Seras came down the stairs, looking around and seeing Integra brushing dust off her pants and holding something else in the crook of her other arm. Walking over quickly she saluted. "I'm glad you're alright Sir. Walter and I were worried about you."

"I'm fine Private Victoria. Did the night's missions go well?" Integra was a little irked that no one had come to inform her of how long she had been preoccupied with this hunt. Then again she might have shot anyone that had interrupted her. She walked out of the dungeon, Seras in tow as she ascended toward her office.

"All the missions have gone well Sir Integra. Walter has the reports on your desk. Do you want me to bring something from the kitchens for you?" Seras offered, wanting to stay on the Iron maiden's good side. Integra thought it over as she set the journals upon her desk and the photograph long with it. Looking over the files she noticed one marked urgent from Iscariot.

"Bring me some tea and a light meal." Integra said as she placed the one from Iscariot to the side for now and checked over the mission results, signing off on them. Seras was eager to leave the room before Sir Integra made it to the Iscariot file. With a polite bow she walked briskly to the door and closed it behind her. It was strange that Walter was not attending to her but then again tonight was a strange night. Finishing the paperwork with practiced efficiency she moved to the Iscariot file. As her eyes scanned over the words her hands gripped the papers tighter and tighter, her eyes hardening into a vicious glare. "MAXWELL!"

* * *

Vance Home…9:30 p.m.

Matt and Samantha walked into the house, Samantha's arms wrapped tightly around a plush figure of a sea turtle. She was tired, stifling a yawn so she might be able to prove she was a big girl and could stay up late. She could hear hushed voices from the living room. It sounded like Lina and creepy man! Matt did not seem to hear the voices, kissing Samantha on the forehead and hugging her. He set the umbrella next to the door, patting off the moisture of his shirt off. The fog had turned into a drizzle.

"I have to go to the club tonight. But I promise we'll get breakfast together in the morning okay?" Samantha nodded, taking her jacket and shoes off. He smiled, locking the door behind him and heading up to his room to change into something to wear. Samantha wandered over to where she had heard the voices looking into the room to see Lina sitting on the couch alone. But where was the creepy man? Lina waved over at her, getting up from the couch and crouching down to Samantha's level.

"Hey, have a nice time at the aquarium? I think your sea turtle is adorable." Lina reached out and stroked the sea turtle, a smile bright on her face. A shadow moved in the corner of the room and it seemed to be staring at them.

"Thank you, Matt bought it for me. I had lots of fun at the aquarium. The fish were so pretty. You should come next time when you're not so hurt and do the feeding tanks with me. You would have liked the Manta rays they had. I didn't like the sharks though, they scared me. Their teeth are too sharp." Samantha swore she saw the shadow shift and heard a low chuckle. "Where is your boyfriend?" Samantha was positive that the shadow moved. Lina glanced over her shoulder to the shadow, turning back to the child with an annoyed look on her face.

"Why do you want to know?" Lina chose to ignore the displeased growl from the shadow. Samantha was staring at the shadow now, her young mind worried that the spooky man might have come back with vengeance. She took a step back from it.

"I wanted to talk with him. He said he's like me." Samantha responded. Lina was confused at first by the meaning behind the child's statement but the understanding dawned on her. "Can you ask him to come over please?"

"Her boyfriend isn't allowed in this house anymore, and he's not allowed anywhere near you Samantha. Her boyfriend is a criminal and a psycho. If you even see him near this house I want you to call the police." Matt had come downstairs dressed to go manage the club. He was glaring at Lina, the glare reminding her that if he even heard about the vampire being in the house she would find herself out of his home. "I love you Samantha." He leaned down kiss Samantha and then left. The room uncomfortably heavy after the front door closed. The shadow in the corner shifted shaped, becoming Dracula once more. Samantha was staring at the man with shock and childish amazement at the feat.

"It seems my presence here is unappreciated. I will take leave before I disrupt any more. Pleasure meeting you young Miss." Dracula smiled to Samantha and gave her an elegant bow while taking her hand and touching it to his forehead, making sure that his cape billowed out and watched as the child's eyes light up in pure delight at the effect. Lina watched Dracula carefully. When it was her own safety she was more willing to throw caution to the wind, but she would never intentionally risk a child's safety. Finished with that Dracula moved before Lina to repeat the bow but bringing her hand to his lips and pressing them to her warm skin, watching her blush at the chivalrous gesture. "Thank you for your hospitality Lina. I would call on you again, but it seems that would be unacceptable to the master of the house. Perhaps you will call on me." He escorted himself from the home, passing through the door as the two girls watched. Lina turned back to Samantha, hoping she might be able to keep this visit a secret; she really didn't have the funds to afford an apartment right now. Samantha was still staring after Dracula with her mouth open comically wide.

"He did magic! Did you see that! He walked right through the door! And he was a shadow and then he was a person! Wow! That was so…so…Wow! Does he teach you how to do that kind of magic! Can he teach me how to do that! I want to do that!" Samantha was bouncing excitedly, the turtle grasped firmly and her eyes wide and sparkling in pure joy.

* * *

Private jet over northern Italy…10 p.m.

Sean fidgeted in his seat across from Father Anderson, his head bowed while his fingers rubbed at the gold cross around his neck like a worry stone. Father Anderson was busy looking over some of the paperwork from a recent adoption. A smile lit up the paladin's face, the green eyes soft. Sean's arm was in a sling to help the bones set properly, not that his werewolf healing wouldn't take care of it. Thoughts raced through his mind faster than he could grasp at them, ears ringing as the jet engines blared. This was going to be a long flight for him. Father Anderson had spent the days praying with Sean to help him find the strength to fight against the urges and impulses of the beast that was within him. The two were being transferred to a Catholic run orphanage on the outskirts of London. One reason was so Anderson could eliminate and replace a priest that had abuse allegations, two was so Anderson would be able to hunt down Dracula, and three was to begin training Sean to be a priest.

"Ye'll put a 'ole en yer cross if ye keep on rubb'in it." Anderson said softly, looking over at Sean. With embarrassment Sean released the cross, his fingers laced together while his toe tapped in agitation. "What is troubl'in yer mind lad?"

"I killed people, I did horrible things to those poor girls, and in the end it was worthless." Sean dropped his head into his hands, holding back the wave of sadness. "She rejected me. I turned myself into a monster for her and in the end it wasn't enough for her. She wanted to be with him. She picked him over me."

"It's the Lords way o' show'in you that no one will do fer ye what he can. When ye place yer Earthly needs before the Lord yer punishment is harsh." Anderson's voice turned harsh. Sean wondered if the priest was bipolar. The priest bounced from kind and fatherly to harsh and malicious in a matter of seconds. "If ye are truly sorry the Lord may pity ye 'nd 'elp you find a way to drive out the demon in ye." With a sigh Anderson removed his glasses, and cleaned them, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. His heart was breaking a little as they flew closer to England. This was a most unhappy task. How dare a priest use his position to exploit children! The church was already furious about the swarming reports in the news, and Iscariot had been busier than normal taking care of the wayward priests in addition to their monster hunting. The children would turn from the church when they were no longer dependent upon it. Anderson could not blame them, how could they see the light of God when a demon takes up disguise as a shepard. "Iscariot is the earthly agent o' punishment from the one true God, those that deny our God or defile his true church shall face retribution, be'in cast down into 'e eternal flames o' Hell."

"Thank you Father Anderson…for everything." Sean spoke quietly, his eyes peering out over the glistening lights of the world down below. He wondered if Lina was dead. He almost hoped she was so that vampire wouldn't have her. Where did he go wrong with her? 'When you didn't listen to me and make her our mate in the first place.' Sean's hands quickly slammed onto his temples as he tried to drown the voice of the beast out. "Out of my mind beast! God rules me! Not you!" Anderson looked up at the outburst, reaching into the pockets of his coat and pulling out a small silver cross, placing the small cross onto Sean's forehead, causing Sean to scream with pain. The smell of burning flesh filled the air around them. Anderson looked bored as the flesh burned, pulling the cross away after a few moments to see the smoldering scar imprinted onto Sean. The beast went silent instantly, and Sean felt weak.

"Sorry Lad, but that should keep yer problem under control fer a while." Relaxing once more against his seat Anderson closed his eyes, removing his glasses so he could sleep without breaking them. Sean was sweating a bit, his skin paler and he could feel his werewolf curse trying to heal the seared skin. As he slowly righted himself Sean arranged his bangs to cover the mark.

* * *

Sultan's Palace…

Setareh was eager to see Vlad. There was only a week left before he would ride out to retake his throne. She had to tell him how she felt. It didn't matter if he rejected her affections, it would probably make it easier for her if he did so she would not live with a sense of loss. It was Maghrib but she really didn't care, her parents were too busy fighting with each other to care about forcing her to go to pray, and her guard could not officially say she was not praying since women prayed in a different place. Besides, she was Shi'ia, it would not be all that strange for her to not want to pray alongside a Sunni. She was leaving the day after Vlad with her mother to rejoin with her family and her grandmother was already starting to look for prospective husbands for her. It was going to be painful telling her grandmother she was already set on not getting married to them. Setareh winced at the tirade the woman would give her. Maybe she should ask Vlad to let her come with him. She snickered at the thought, as if the mighty Prince Vlad would allow her to travel with him and slow him down. She was approaching Vlad's room, taking a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves. Hopefully he would not be busy. With her hand poised to knock on the door she jumped back when it swung open and revealed Vlad. He had dark circles under his eyes and his lips were pulled back in a growl. She yipped and jumped back, giving him room in the hallway. Vlad did not acknowledge her presence; she doubted he even saw her standing there. He forgot to close his door. Setareh knew he was in a mood and was not going to bother him, so instead she closed the door for him. At the soft click she sighed and walked down the hall in the other direction from him. His footsteps thundered down the hallway. She pitied the first person that gave him an outlet for his rage. She found her way into one of the gardens and sat down to watch the water dance along the fountains. It relaxed her to sit out in a garden and watch the water, listening to it was like a lullaby.

"Princess Setareh…What are you doing out here without your guard?" A shiver of fear went through her at the voice. It was one of the advisers to Sultan Murad, and at least ten years her senior. She stood and backed away from the man, bowing to be polite but quickly thinking of a way to escape his company. Arkhem made her extremely uncomfortable. His eyes had a strange look in them and Setareh wished she had wings to fly away. He moved closer to her, and she took a step backward. "It's dangerous you know. Especially for a girl your age, not all the men in the palace are scrupulous." There was a hint of promise and warning in his voice. Setareh squared her shoulders, not wanting to look frightened. He stepped closer and grasped her arm before she could flee. His fingers dug in slightly to her soft flesh. "Let me escort you." There was no question in his tone. It was an order. He started to move away from the garden tugging her arm when she resisted.

"I appreciate the concern but I should wait here for my guard to find me." She raised her voice a bit, hoping that someone nearby would hear her. "You can let me go sir." She tried to tug her arm from his grasp, only to have him dig his fingers in more.

"You are actually very pretty considering your heritage Princess. You have grown up a little more every year you come. But does it not get tiring having to travel back and forth so often. I know your tribe is still nomadic, but even the travelling from there to here is exhausting. Would you not be happier staying here at the palace all the time?" He ignored her protests, now beginning to drag her along behind him toward the part of the palace where his quarters were. It was past the main courtroom. Setareh did not want to cause a scene as they passed the rooms, but she was beginning to worry.

"How is your wife?" She deflected his line of questioning, hoping it would give him pause. Arkhem smirked instead.

"She is wonderful, very content being my wife. I have provided for her and more so. I have actually been thinking of taking a second wife." Setareh felt her heart beat speed up as the implication hit her. He was trying to drag her before his first wife for approval.

"Then you should release me so I may return to my mother's courters and let you begin your search." She did not mean for her voice to be so loud, but she did not want to go any further with this man. "She will be wondering why I have not returned yet." She was tugging more forcefully against his hold, and he was digging his fingers in deeper, she felt bruises already.

"I am sure she will forgive your tardiness if you have good reason to be late." His voice was no longer trying to be polite, it was rude and she understood the meaning, he wanted her to agree to marry him. The only way to insure she would agree was to ruin her reputation. He was going to force himself on her and she was panicking now. Setareh lashed out with her free hand, slapping him across the face. The sound echoed off the splendid hallway and his grasp on her loosened with shock. She quickly pulled away from him and began to walk briskly down the hallway. She would not give the man the satisfaction of seeing her run away.

"Princess Setareh, what are you doing here?" She turned to look behind her, a sigh of relief escaping her to see Vlad standing in the doorway to one of the rooms. He stepped out of the room and Setareh noticed the annoyed look of one of the court ladies. Setareh was about to speak when Arkhem came marching up the hallway toward her with a guard in tow. Vlad noticed the panicked look on her face and stepped over to her, not about to leave her at the man's mercy. The court lady cast Setareh a nasty glance and closed the door to the room. The guard and Arkhem stopped in front of them, Arkhem reaching out to grab at Setareh. Vlad stepped in front of her, not flinching as he meet the older man's eyes. "Can I ask why you are so roughly grabbing at the princess?"

"She assaulted me. Look at the mark she left. She needs to be dragged out and punished." There was indeed an angry red hand print on the man's face. The guard made to grab at her when Vlad pulled the sleeve of her dress up, exposing the imprints of Arkhem's fingers on her arm. The guard looked at them and backed down.

"I think she had good cause. But so you do not worry about her assaulting you further I will take her back to her quarters. In fact I will stay by her the rest of the week so you need not fear this girl bringing harm to your person adviser Arkhem." The older man's face was flustered and he spat at her feet and walked off, the guard bowing in a small apology before resuming his duties. Vlad turned on his heel and began to walk off down the hallway towards his room. "Come along Princess." Setareh began to follow him, rubbing at her arm. The walk was silent between them.

"Thank you." He didn't acknowledge her. Instead opening the door to his room and waiting for her. She looked between him and the door, blushing as she darted inside and heard him close it. "I am sorry I pulled you away from her." She stood there in his room, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I will go back to my room." She made to open the door when he stopped her.

"Sit down. I want to talk with you." His voice left no room for her to protest, but unlike Arkhem it did not scare her. She sat down on the edge of his bed, waiting for him to speak. "Sorry I ignored you when you came to my room earlier. I had just spoken to Radu and it left me in a sour mood." Was this all he wanted to say to her? "I want you to please be careful. I have so much on my plate to deal with I cannot split my focus from these plans to worry about if you are safe or not. I know you hate begin followed but I want you to stay with your guard. Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have been in if I had not been there? I will not always be there to rescue you Setareh." Vlad was pacing a bit, not really looking at her. Setareh was more than shocked that he was speaking like this to her. He was always so…cocky, and most of the time it seemed like he could care less about her safety, that him helping her was more about angering others than about her. Her heart fluttered and her lips curled up into a smile. She should not get her hopes up about his intentions. It was going to mean nothing in a few days once he went home.

"I will do my best to stay out of trouble Prince Vlad. Thank you for your concern. I should be getting back to my room though." He followed behind her as she walked to her room. "I was wondering Prince Vlad…will we still be friends once you leave?"

"Most likely not. It will be difficult for us to remain in touch." He answered back quickly. He must have thought this out.

"Oh…is that the only reason?" She shyly looked over her should toward him. He looked much better with the goatee than the mustache.

"No. Once I take the throne I will have to represent my people, being friends with someone like you would send the wrong message." She nodded in understanding to his logic. They were at the door to her mother's room, her guard waiting outside the door for her. She turned to him and looked up at him with a sad smile.

"Then I will miss your friendship." She fixed her sleeve so she could hide the marks on her arm. Vlad moved in and made her look up at him, gentle grasping her chin in his fingers.

"So will I Setareh." He nodded to the guard and walked back to his room, leaving her standing there with a scarlet blush on her face.

* * *

Carfax…November 12…6:23 a.m.

"I can't believe this! I can't believe it! How could someone be that…that…that SICK!" Alucard jerked awake in his coffin, looking around only to find Lina pacing. He snarled. What the hell did this human think she was doing? Her hair was messy, and her black jeans and shirt looked like she had thrown them on in a rush.

"I can't believe you would be so reckless as to wake a vampire up in their own lair. How could you be that stupid?" He was glaring at her with his hellfire eyes, making her turn her attention to him. "How did you get in?" He was suddenly towering over her, and he watched her curl away in fear of him. "I do not give you permission to intrude whenever the urge hits you."

"But you did Alucard. As for letting her in, that was my doing." Alucard turned on his heel, finding Dracula sitting on his chair. A growl left his lips and he left Lina alone so he could deal with the thorn in his side. "She was hoping I could help her solve a problem. We shall move it somewhere else so we do not bother you." Dracula stood and made to move over to Lina to escort her from the room and Alucard snarled louder.

"I don't think so. She is not your concern, she is mine. If she has a problem then I should listen to it." Alucard was summoning his shadows to him, getting ready to pummel himself into the dirt.

"I don't care which one of you helps me as long as someone does." Lina inserted herself between the two of them. "I don't know what to do and you're the only person that would have any clue. Now will you two stop aggravating each other and listen. After I leave I promise you two can rip each other to shreds." Dracula bowed his head while Alucard called off his shadows, both men staring at her. "Samantha was talking in her sleep and apparently the reason she did not want to go to school is because the catholic priest that comes over is one of the sick twisted bastards that hurt her! I want to go to the police and get the fucker arrested, but if it goes to trial then she's going to have to testify against him and I just don't want to force her through that. Besides, I looked him up and he already has been accused of molesting children before and no one did anything." She had begun pacing again, her arms flailing with her anger, her voice rising in volume and her hands tugging at her hair in frustration.

"What do you want me to do? Kill him?" Alucard sneers at her. "Should I rip out his throat, grind his bones into dust? Or maybe you want him to impale the soul who has earned your rage." Alucard's voice was full of enough sarcasm to choke a horse. She stopped in her tracks, her breathing barely even coming across. Both stared at her, waiting for her reply.

"It's brilliant." She turned on her heel, pacing once more but this time with excitement. "It would be so simple. Sure there's the difficulty of getting him there without leaving a trail, but there would be no real investigation." She ran up and threw her arms around Alucard, smiling up at him with dark eyes, eyes that looked almost black. "I knew you two were the right pair to come talk to. Thanks for the help." She pulled away from Alucard, giving a much more formal goodbye to Dracula before heading toward the exit. "Oh…by the way Samantha wants to speak with you, but Matt will kick me out of the house if you go near her. I'll call you later to let you know how it goes." She left the two of them standing there in mild confusion as she left.

"For the record, whatever she's about to do is your inspiration."

**Chapter End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first note. Sorry to any Catholics I offended, I don't think all priest are like that, but it's a helpful plot device. Also, sorry about the really bad Scottish accent. I tried.


	23. Bonding

Sultan's Palace…

Vlad was leaving today. It hurt Setareh to realize that she had wasted all week. She needed to let him know. She honestly would not be a surprise if he already knew, enough of the other girls in the palace teased her, and she was not exactly discrete about it, trying to be close to him this entire week. She hated herself. She couldn't work up the courage but if she did not tell him now she'd lose her chance. It was a few hours till dawn when he would ride out to Wallachia. Her guard had voiced his disapproval of her actions, suggesting that instead of sneaking into the room through the balcony they use the door. She knew he was trying to protect her. What if she walked in on Vlad and one of the court ladies again? She shivered, that had been horribly humiliating for her, and Vlad had teased her relentlessly about it. Setareh paced under the window, wringing her hands nervously, her many gold bracelets and anklets chiming with her movements.

"Are you coming up Princess or should I come down to you?" Vlad was leaning on the railing, looking down at her with a bored expression. He had dark circles under his eyes and his voice was rough as if she had woken him from a deep sleep. Setareh was confused, how did he know she was waiting out here? He could tell what she was wondering, giving her a tired smile. "Too much jewelry Princess, I could hear you pacing." She blushed, glancing down at her jewelry, maybe she had overdone it.

"Sorry to wake you." She looked up, smiling nervously up at him. He was not wearing his shirt and she could see his muscles under the full moon light. He chuckled softly.

"If you were sorry about it then you would not be down there contemplating how to wake me up. I'm alone if that's what you were worried about." He looked up at the moon, shaking his head. "Tonight is a beautiful night." The footsteps of a palace guard could be heard approaching them. "Princess, best make a choice now."

"Help me up then." Setareh was lifted up by her guard, Vlad reaching down to grasp her hand and pull her up into his room. She let Vlad lead her into his room and close the curtain so they would have some privacy. He lit a candle filling the room with a soft light. "I have something I wanted to tell you before you leave." Her voice sounded weak even in her own ears. She could not help it. He made her feel so…giddy.

"If it's good luck you could have saved that for the morning." She watched him flop onto his bed, feeling her heartbeat quicken rebelliously. "They think I will fail. Everyone says I am not prepared to handle this. I will prove them all wrong. Under my rule Wallachia will be a model of Christian righteousness that will rival Jerusalem." His hands fisted with determination and he stared up at the ceiling.

"I know you will Prince Vlad. I just hope it will make you happy." Setareh took a seat on one of the pillows around the room. He sat up on the bed, looking at her as if she was out of her mind.

"Of course that will make me happy. What could make me happier?" He stood up and walked over to her. "I will be great, my name will strike fear into the hearts of the unrighteous and I will be praised across the globe as a great king. My name will go down in history, making me immortal. I will be loved for generations. So tell me, what could make me happier than that?" Vlad looked at Setareh, waiting for her reply. She looked down into her lap, her hand clasped together as she thought it over.

"I do not think anything else would make you happy. I just hope it lives up to your expectations. I know that when I have a dream for too long nothing will ever live up to it." He arched a brow at her words, kneeling down to be near eye level with his friend.

"What kind of dreams do you have that nothing lives up to?" He smirked at her, noticing how her eyes dropped to his lips with the movement and then darting away to look at anything else in his room.

"You will laugh at me." She curled up in her seat, pulling her legs closer to her body.

"I do that anyway. No need to worry Setareh." He sat on the floor, his legs crossed and he stretched his neck out.

"If you will laugh either way then I do not need to tell you Vlad." A blush began to form on her cheeks as she said his name. He chuckled at her answer, reaching out and poking at her ankle, playing with the anklets and she pulled her foot away quickly at the sensation, a giggle escaping her and her lips pulled up into a smile.

"Ticklish Princess?" Vlad asked playfully. Setareh tucked her feet under her skirt to protect her from further contact. "What did you want to tell me Setareh?" The air was suddenly thick between them, and she licked her lips.

"I…wanted to tell you that I…well…we've been friends for a long time and after tomorrow we will never see each other again so…" She had to take a quick breath, realizing that she had not breathed when she spoke.

"No guarantee there. I may have to come back this way if I am called upon by the Church to force these Turks back from the Holy Land. Once I gain enough support to cut my ties with the Sultan and gather an army that is." He smiled to her, trying to lessen the harshness of their parting for her and succeeding in making her heart pound in her chest. "Continue." Vlad waved his hand in a gesture for her to do so.

"I think I…well you see…" She just could not seem to say the words. She could not handle if he laughed at her. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes she tried to calm herself down. When his hand came to rest on hers Setareh's eyes snapped open to meet his, which were inches from hers. "I l-lo…I lo…Oh why is this so hard for me!" Vlad firmly placed his hand over her mouth, the other going behind her head to keep her from pulling away and continuing to shout. She blushed brighter than any tomato.

"Keep your voice down Setareh unless you want the guards to know you are in my room. I doubt the Sultan would let us off with a warning now that we are no longer children. You would only come out of it alive if I married you." He chuckled softly, moving closer to her and she felt his bare chest on her arm. She looked away from him and shifted nervously. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her reaction. He looked puzzled. "Do you want that? Do you want to marry me?" Setareh managed to wriggle out of his hold, turning away from him and straightening.

"I think I should leave now Prince Vlad. You need your rest." She could feel his eyes on her as she retreated. Well, it may not have been the way she wanted to tell him, but she was pretty sure he understood what she felt now. She checked if the coast was clear for her to get down and she got ready to descend. Silently he helped her down and she left without looking to him, not wanting to see if he was rejecting her.

"Are you coming to see me off tomorrow?" He called out softly to her retreating form.

"Do you want me to?" She asked over her shoulder. Hopefulness crept into her tone without her consent.

"Like you said, you've been my friend for a long time. It would be a shame for us to part without a goodbye."

* * *

Carfax….November 12th...10 a.m.

A shrill ringing sound came to Alucard's ears, dragging him once more from the comfort of his slumber to silence the annoyance that was his cell phone. How did some humans stay attached to it all hours of the day? He was wondering if he should just let the call go to his answering machine but he heard someone else answer it before it could go. Alucard was beyond livid with his past life. He never knew it was possible to hate himself so much. Dracula was holding the phone and put the call on speaker before Alucard could stop him.

"Excuse me…is this Lina's boyfriend?" Both men had a look of confusion on their face. Why was the little girl calling them, and on Lina's phone? Alucard walked over, schooling his tone so not to scar the child.

"Yes…My name is Vlad. Is something wrong Samantha?" He snapped the phone away from Dracula, deciding that their fight could come after the phone call.

"Lina isn't home. Is she with you?" Samantha asked hopefully. She had woken up alone in Lina's room, only a note saying for her to have a good day at school and to not worry. "She did not take her phone."

"Unfortunately she is not here Samantha. I did see her though. Don't worry, she'll turn up." Alucard was trying to end this conversation quickly so he could resume his sleep. Lina wanted to be a pain that was her problem.

"She's going to do something very bad. Very, very bad." Samantha's voice was low, as if she was whispering so no one else would over hear her. Alucard rolled his eyes. Lina was too weak to do anything bad, just like his worthless fledging.

"She's throwing a tantrum. She'll come back when she's scared." His malice was starting to show through his voice as the conversation dragged on, the sun rising behind the grey fog. Dracula was listening in, pulling out his sword and sharpening the blade.

"Please, if you won't help her can the caped man do it?" Samantha spoke as if she was telling him government secretes. Alucard however was snarling under his breath at Dracula. This bastard was getting much too involved with his unlife. Alucard missed the days when his head was being blown apart by an enemy, it caused fewer headaches. "She took her gun with her. It's not in the closet. Please…I don't want her to do something bad." Well that as a bit bolder than doing nothing.

"Alright, I will see what I can do." He hung up the phone, silencing it before flaring out his shadows to absorb his other self back into him. Alucard was surprised that there was little resistance put up by Dracula as the other man liquefied into a shadowy mass that was drawn to his own shadow like a moth to a flame. "What? No fight left in you? How disgusting. I doubt Lina would have gotten far. Her injuries are still going to restrain her abilities."

'I have no energy left because I gave her a very large amount to make up for your poor treatment. After all, if you were more competent she would never have been tossed into a wall to begin with.' Alucard could feel a twitch developing in his eye.

"If you hadn't given her any energy she wouldn't have been able to run off." Alucard hissed, lying back in his coffin to sleep. He would bother with Lina later, when his urge to strangle her had time to ferment into a plan of how to find her.

* * *

Hellsing Headquarters….Noon

"How does that pompous Catholic pig think he can get away with just transferring Anderson! The priest is just as insane as Alucard, maybe more so! At least Alucard has some sense of who is and who isn't appropriate to kill. Anderson would kill any protestant just because he can! I demand that he is transferred back! The Vatican can send his overgrown hide to Scotland and Ireland but I refuse to have him hear in England!" The Vatican attaché shrunk further and further into his chair as Sir Hellsing raged at him. Integra was turning red with wrath, her fingers digging so deep into the palm of her hand that if it was not for her gloves she would have drawn blood. The man's glasses were trembling on his face, nodding his head weakly in hopes of being spared for more ranting. "Well! Are you going to send the message or do I need to call the Pope myself!" The man stiffened to attention, saluting her with a shaky hand.

"Yes Sir Hellsing. Right on it." Integra gave the man one last glare before turning on her heel and walking form the room with dignified steps that did not divulge her seething anger. She understood the Catholic's need for transfer after reading the abuse allegations, but surely there was a better priest available for the job. She pulled out her cigar and lit it, taking a puff of smoke in her lungs as the nicotine soothed her frayed nerves. As she walked back towards her office she noticed Walter walking up with a stack of mail in his hands.

"Walter I'll take my mail." He looked up at her, almost as if he had been caught in the middle of something. He held out the mail for her, bowing politely and moving off to his next task for the day. Integra was a bit surprised at Walter's response, checking through the envelopes and coming across one from Matt. Integra thought after their date he had lost interest in her. She walked into her office, closing the door behind her to get some privacy. As she opened the letter and read it she found herself slightly puzzled at the tone in the letter. It seemed she needed to ask Walter for the rest of the letters Matt had been sending to her. Setting the letter aside she began to sort through the mail, not dreading the invitation to the next social event like she normally would have.

Down in the barracks Pip was sprawled out on the couch in the break room, his men currently off making repairs on their weapons and vehicles. Shifting to try and find a spot on the cushions that was not flattened to the point the springs dug up into him Pip let his thoughts wander. Normally they would wander to forests of naked women just dying to run their fingers through his hair and along his other attributes but for some reason his mind wandered to the police girl. Was she happy being a vampire? Pip frowned at the tone of his thoughts, instead trying to force them into how she looked without her top, but those images did not bring about any response from him. Question after question floated through his mind, acting like censor bars to his nude imaginings of her. After what seemed like twenty minutes he gave up and decided to check up on the men. Getting up from the couch he cracked his back, wondering if he should request better furniture for the break room. As he walked into the gun range he watched them shoot the targets, correcting some of the newer recruits from the 'legitimate' agencies on their reloading. All in all, this life of monster hunting was much cushier than any of the prior gigs the Wild Geese had. Unconsciously Pip touched his eye patch, purposely not thinking of Paraguay.

"Captain Bernadette, can I speak with you a moment." The soft voice immediately caught Pip's attention, making him turn around with a big grin toward Seras.

"Of course youz can Polize Girl. Whatz can I'z do for you?" How odd for Seras to be up at this time of day. She motioned for him to follow and he did with a skip in his step.

"I want you to talk to your men and make them stop talking about me. We have to work together professionally and I cannot do my job of protecting all of you out on the field if I have to be worried about what all of you are saying about me. They take their cues from you, so I would like it if you treated me with respect out on the field." Seras was tired, and she looked as dead as she felt. She had been starving herself again, and it showed, the sunlight harshly highlighting her lackluster hair and dry skin. If she had been looking better he would have teased her, but seeing the vampire with such heavy bags under her eyes and so much seriousness in her face he caved in.

"Alright Miss Victoria, I'll see'z what I canz do. I cant'z promise much." Pip smiled at Seras, watching her weakly respond with one of her own. "Youz best be getting zome sleep, you look like a corpse." Her smile fell but she nodded, walking away back to her room and a nice large pile of dirt and her cozy coffin.

* * *

Cheddar Village….7:32 p.m.

Confused eyes looked around, squinting against the powerful spot lighting to try and see some marker of where here was. It was useless; beyond the blinding lights was a sea of pitch black darkness. A whistling started up, followed by the sound of calculated steps on a wooden floor, the floor creaking slightly with each step from what sounded like a boot. The footsteps were coming from behind. Panic was beginning to build as the realization of being bound to a table sank in. Wrists and ankles were secured in place with harsh abrasive ropes tied just a bit too snug, blood flow would be crawling to a halt in a few hours. The whistling stopped, but the footsteps did not.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" The voice was crisp and demanding.

"No…now let me go." The footsteps moved in closer, now walking in from the lights, the silhouette a slowly clarifying shape. A loud yelp of indignation and pain rang out as a slap was delivered.

"You are in no position to demand anything you worthless piece of shit." As eyes adjusted to the light the face of voice came into focus. "Now Mr. Glidden…can you guess why you're here?" A look of annoyance crossed the man's face as he could finally make out the young girl's features. Brown hair framing her face with green eyes and pursed lips, a face that showed no kindness or sympathy for his plight.

"It's Father Glidden. I'm a man of the church." The girl burst out into an almost demonic pitch of heartless cackles, the sound amplified and echoing back, the sound ringing in his ears.

"That's fucking rich. Did you make the children call you that too?" He watched as she stepped out once more into the blinding light, leaving him there under its harsh heat. He could feel himself starting to sweat. "Alright…'Father', then you shall call me Tisiphone, she is an angel of wrath and vengeance for the crimes of men." Lina smirked at the man's confusion.

"Vengeance? What does that have to do with me?" Lina felt disgust for this man burning in her heart and she could swear she felt Tisiphone truly there burning with rage besides her at this man's denial of his own crime.

"Do you think you can lie to me? I am here to avenge the souls you have killed." She took her seat on the edge of the ring of spotlights. She had brought him to this abandoned theatre in the unpopulated part of the village of Cheddar. She had driven through it on accident, but it served her needs well. The spotlights of the stage worked wonderfully, a few lights in the house turned on so she could see. She was still afraid of the dark. Kidnapping and torture doesn't change one's phobias.

"Killed! Are you mad girl! I have never killed. It's against god's law!" She growled and it sent shivers down her own spine at the way it sounded. Lina didn't move closer, instead looking over her supplies.

"You did not kill the physical body, you killed something more sacred. Innocence. The innocence of children. Can you honestly deny that?" She admired the perfectly honed edge of the blade on her scalpel.

"I was a victim myself. I was tempted by Satan! I could not drive out the demon in me that lusts after children. Please, forgive me and let me go." She rose and slapped him firmly once more, pulling out a simple sewing needle and holding it before his left eye.

"How pathetic, you can't even take responsibility for your own sins. By claiming you were not in your senses do you think you can avoid feeling remorse? That you are somehow excused from your fate by pleading for mercy and forgiveness." Lina used her gloved fingers to spread his eyelids so he could not blink as she moved the sewing needle closer to his eye. He tried to jerk his head away but she leaned her full weight on his head to keep him still. "This is for not accepting responsibility." She slowly pushed the needle towards his eye, her hand shaking as she struggled to carry out her plan. She could do this! She could make him suffer for making children suffer. He deserved it, he deserved to have unimaginable pain for causing them to live with the aftermath of his lust. Her hand was shaking, and even as she tried to move the needle closer she felt tears in her own eyes, begging pleading voices in her mind, echoes of her own souls screaming out in pain as they were tortured. With a frustrated yell she pulled away and put the needle back in her dissection kit. She was shaking with anger, with anguish, and hopelessness. She could pull the trigger, make it quick, but...he didn't deserve quick, but she wasn't able to do what needed to be done. "I'm too weak...I just...I can't do it...I'm not strong enough."

"Lina...why is hurting him so much harder than pinning me to the ground and smashing my head in?" Alucard's voice filled the auditorium. She looked up in shock and surprise, seeing him sitting the in second row, his feet resting on the seat in front of him. Alucard was sipping on a bag of blood as if he were sipping on a soda at the movies.

"Vlad?" There was disbelief in her voice, and hope. She looked so happy to see him. "How did you find me?" If he didn't see the situation it would almost sound like she was the one in danger.

"You borrowed energy, I simply traced it. Now back to the question at hand, why can you harm me, but not him?" She looked down at the floor, wiping off the tears from her face.

"I guess...because I...it's not me it's...I don't know how to say it. It's just...I know I'm not hurting you, it's like a game of pretend. You're invincible, anything that happens is negated as soon as you are bored with it happening. I'm a weakling...I'm nothing but a passing distraction." She looked back at the priest that was looking at the pair of them with terror and confusion. "Him...I want to hurt him so bad...I want to make him suffer, but...once I do that...I would be making myself less human. I want to be human Vlad. I don't want to lose that. But...if I don't punish him...I'm still not human because then I am turning my back and allowing evil it's way in this world that I love."

"I'll destroy this world, I will plunge it into darkness, into eternal hellfire and bloodshed. I am evil." He finished the blood packet, crushing it as he stared her down, having left his glasses and hat off. Lina was looking into his eyes, looking at him, and she felt something between them.

"No Vlad...you don't want those things. If you did, you would have done it. Once you do that...you have nothing. You always try to pretend you are above humanity, but...deep down you care in your own way. If you didn't...you wouldn't have comforted Samantha. If you didn't, you wouldn't have turned Seras, or saved Sir Integra, or be here wasting your time speaking to me. I think that deep down...you still love humanity...and want to show your God how much better you are by caring for it in ways He won't. You deep down still want to make your jerusalem here on Earth, only-"

"With myself upon the throne." He finished for her, silence passing between them as the pair sat there, the priest struggling to escape. "Stop squirming maggot, she isn't going to torture you." The man went still, a look of relief on his face. "Lina...your past lives...I saw their memories when you hesitated...how many times did you die by torture?"

"I...I don't know honestly. I know that being burned at the stake was my most common type of death...but torture usually happened prior to that…" She spoke softly. "That's why I hate those torture movies..it's just...it triggers those memories. Kind of like when I had that panic attack in high school. I walked into my biology class, only for someone to point their finger at me and scream witch. It brought up all those times of being tied to a stake and looking into a sea of faces all too happy to watch me burn." She bowed her head, not able to look at him anymore, knowing this was their end. He was going to leave her, and maybe even kill her. "I'm sorry...I know you're disappointed in me for being so weak."

"If I do it for you...if I tortured this man the way you had planned...would that be justice in your eyes? Even if you can't do it." His voice sounded neutral, it was just a question to him. She mulled it over, the priest starting to panic again.

"His punishment isn't about pride in what I can do...it's doing what is right for all the children he hurt. For Samantha." She said it with so much conviction, and she was honest with every word.

"Then why did you not ask me to start with?"

"Because I...I was angry with you. You were angry with me and I just...I was angry, and you made it sound like it wasn't worth your time. You were yelling at me for being in your home even though the other you let me in, and I thought…" She sighed, seeing now exactly what he had been trying to get at. "I'm sorry...I should have...I should have asked you for help. I should have been patient. You said you would listen to my problem...but I was so impulsive and hurt, I didn't realize that you were trying to deal with another problem first."

"And I should have not yelled when you tried to explain yourself. I am not fond of having a second self wandering around, and was even less pleased that he was with you. Our prides seemed to have been in the way of what needs to be done." Alucard stood and leap easily onto the stage, gently extending his hand to her to have her stand by his side. "You did a remarkable amount of work getting him here by yourself, and of finding a place to do it. You were even intimidating when threatening him. But you are right. You are human, and can't punish him the way he deserves. He is beyond Man's law…Allow me." He moved towards her little set up, chuckling as he saw just how improvised this all had been. "Lina...I'm going to start." He looked at her, and she blinked owlishly before she realized what he was talking about. She turned on her music, Mozart softly playing in the background.

"What kind of monsters are you people! This isn't right! You said you wouldn't torture me!" Alucard picked up her needle, gripping the man's head firmly. Alucard had no hesitation, the needle piercing the man's eye directly in the center of the pupil. "I said she wouldn't…"

"This is sadistic! Pull it out!" Alucard pulled out the scalpel from her dissection kit, moving to the priests hands, tracing the razor's blade along the lines of his hand, only cutting deep enough to cause pain but no blood yet. "Shit! Stop this! Do you want to burn in hell!" He retraced the lines deeper till small drops of blood welled up from the cuts. "What do you want me to say?" Mr. Glidden hissed out in pain, unable to clench his hands into fists because it would irritate the cuts. Alucard turned to Lina who was watching in a mix of fascination and horror as Alucard worked, prompting her to continue her part.

"I want you to take responsibility for your actions. I want you to suffer." It was disturbing how her voice was in the same soft tone as the Mozart yet her words were filled with hatred. Alucard moved the razor blade up to the man's forehead, lightly etching the word on his flesh to make sure it would fit before he made it permanent. The priest could see Alucard's sadistic, Cheshire cat grin as he began to make the word a permanent mark in his flesh. Alucard cutting deeply into his flesh, it making him cry out in pain and discomfort. Blood dripped from the cuts into his eyes and down his face.

"Alright! For Heaven's sake! I did it! I lusted after children for sexual pleasure! Now stop this!" He could not see that Alucard had already carved the word 'RAPIST' into his forehead. "Let me go! Please for the love of God let me go!"

"We have much more to discuss you bag of shit. Give us the names of who you bought Samantha Vance from, and the name of who you sold her too. And any other traffickers' names you have. You give me names and He won't kill you." Alucard looked towards her, an eyebrow raised as he silently asked her why? He saw her pat her jacket pocket, hearing her gun. He wouldn't kill him, but she would. He could handle splitting the responsibility.

"Yes…I'll give you their names and then you let me go." He was going to take any way out he could. What pride did he have in the face of this deranged couple? Lina wrote of the names and Alucard pried more information by carving 'RAPIST' into his chest as well as using some mental probing. When they had all the information he could give she gagged the priest. His wrists and ankles were becoming raw from struggling against the ropes.

"Now we begin your punishment. You don't have any remorse in your heart for your sins, you only fear for your life. So he gets to play till you have remorse." Alucard pulled up a floorboard while Lina spoke, using his strength to fashion it into a rudimentary stake.

"My dear, I think I should take over from here." Alucard purred to her, and she nodded in agreement, he knew what to do. Her heart fluttered as he called her his dear, and she felt like..everything was going to be okay between them. Alucard removed his coat, handing it to her to hold, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to keep them cleaner, but all this was just building fear in the priest, and he enjoyed it. "He needs to understand what it's like. Don't you think?" Lina nodded her agreement, knowing what he was about to do. He wasn't called the impaler for nothing. She closed her eyes and looked away, hearing the screams muffled by the gag, a wet squelching sound and ripping fabric. There was a thudding sound as the man writhed against the table he was tied to. Lina looked once the sounds stopped, covering her mouth as she saw the man on the table, the stake was buried in the man's ass, but erupted from the man's stomach. "If I had the proper materials you would live till I was tired of you doing so, but you only have a few hours like this. I'm sure it feels long enough already." Alucard chuckled, feeling good at watching the sight before him. He turned away from the man, seeing Lina staring at the man's body. He moved closer to her, blood on his hands from his handy work. She looked up at him, seeming to be a bit shaken. He arched an eyebrow at her, asking her if she regretted this.

"He deserves it." She whispered, but she did turn away, not wanting to watch any more, diverting her attention the the list of names.

"And them?" He was beside her, looking over her list, licking the blood from his hand.

"If they are guilty...they should be punished." She frowned as he licked the blood. "Um...is that sanitary? Since it came from...well you know." He leveled a serious look at her.

"Do you have an objection to me drinking blood now?"

"No...just like...why not drink blood from a cleaner part of him?" His brows knitted together in confusion before he started cackling as what unsettled her became clear. "I'm serious! If I kiss you I don't want to be thinking about where the blood might have been coming from." She huffed, blushing as she looked away from him. "I'm human, I can still get sick from stuff in blood and...from there."

"I will keep that in mind then for next time." His voice was rich with promise, and he let her pass him the cleaning supplies to wash himself of the Priest's blood. She let her music keep playing, going and sitting on the edge of the stage again, leaning against his leg as he stood by her side, his cleaned fingers running through her hair.

"So...how long till till I can shoot him?" She asked timidly, hating that she was breaking up the moment but she wanted to make sure he knew she was going to do her part.

"You can have the next kill. Tonight, this one is mine." He moved to sit with her, his hand resting on her own, looking at the list. She blushed at the simple gesture, looking up at him, her breathing faster with excitement.

"What should we do with the body?" He looked back at the priest, watching him writhe. It filled Alucard with nostalgia and joy.

"What do you have in mind Lina?"

* * *

**(Warning: LEMON! Please skip down to the safety label so you can avoid the adult material if you find it offensive or you are under age.)**

Hungry, demanding lips claimed her willing ones. A calloused hand running through her brown locks of hair, enjoying the feel of it running between his fingers as he carried her in his arms towards the room they would indulge in the delights of each other's body. Her arms were wrapped around his own neck, holding her smaller frame to his chest, her body pulsing with pent up need and excitement. He pushed the door open, kicking it shut behind him. No one would dare interrupt him now and live. He was getting something he wanted, and anything that got in his way would be destroyed. Kneeling over the bed he set his prize down in the soft mattress, pulling his lips away to let her gasp for air greedily under him. Looking down he noticed how her hair was, his fingers reaching under her to bring out every strand to create a halo around her head on his pillow. Her brown eyes looked up at him with trust, admiration, and love. Yes, this girl beneath him loved him with every fiber of her being, and he was about to repay her for such loving devotion and loyalty. Pulling away from her eager embrace he looked her over, watching the blush on her cheeks as she knew what he wanted, he had made it clear when he pressed his body against hers. Her innocent eyes watched him with timid lust, her eyes following his fingers as he removed his red coat and black top. Her chocolate eyes seemed to be trying to memorize his now bared chest and her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips. Kicking off his boots he climbed over her slowly, trying to not frighten her from this, wanting her to enjoy this, to come to crave his touch. He wanted her to only want him, and the only way to do that was to ensure he claimed her completely. He had her heart and mind, now he just needed to claim her young, soft, fervent flesh as his own. Her fingers reached up tracing along his scars to examine them with avid desire. His fingers worked nimbly to loosen her garments, staring into her eyes to gage her levels of unease and slowing his actions down. She closed her eyes as she allowed him to strip her to just her undergarments, not wanting to see him judging her body. She could feel his fingers skimming over her stomach up towards her breasts, her skin feeling warmed in his wake. His rough, husky chuckle seemed to soak into her ears.

"How long have you waited for this? How long have you wanted my touch?" His voice was rich with promise of the sinful ways he was going to liberate her from her innocence. "I hope I live up to those dreams of yours." Timidly her eyes opened to look up into the depths of his own eyes; for once that violence that always colored his gaze seemed to be buried. Her fingers traced the strong line of his jaw, her fingers running through his own impressive mane of hair. A soft giggle left her throat, earning her a raised brow look from him. "What are you giggling at?" His caged her to the bed with his body, his arms on both sides of her small frame and his knee slowly pressing between her thighs.

"I was thinking you a horse with this hair." She traced a finger down the aristocratic slope of his nose. "And with such a long nose it is even more confusing." The corners of his lips twitched up, a smile crawling over his face as he flashed his white teeth at her, his mouth stained red. His knee was more insistent on coming between her pale thighs, her will giving out and letting him enter. His knee pressed higher till he was rubbing against her core, drawing out a soft sound from her throat, relishing the innocent cry of need. His hips dipped lower and he allowed his maleness to press into her, letting her feel his whole length and the grin taking on even more perverse pleasure as her eyes widened in shock, looked up at him expecting him to be fooling her.

"After tonight you shall always think me a horse." His lustful growl made her turn her gaze and tremble beneath him. He watched as he lips seemed to be trying to form a sentence but failed miserably as he kept himself pressed against her warm stomach. He could feel her hips starting to respond to the pressure of his knee, pressing down against it slightly. He captured her lips in another hungry kiss, his moving against hers, and taking from her sweet mouth as was his right when it was presented so willingly. He felt her lips part and his tongue seized its advantage and raided her mouth. She moaned into the kiss, and he swallowed it greedily. He plundered her mouth, leaving no spot untouched by his tongue. Her own tongue came to a weak defense, only to be overwhelmed by his own and then dominated, even so far as to be dragged from her own mouth so he could suck on it, forcing her to taste the bitter liquid in his mouth before being pressed back into her own mouth once more. When he broke the kiss he was pleased with his work, her lips were swollen from his kisses, now plump with blood. She drew air in for her lungs, her breasts following the motions of each breath. He pulled back from her, rolling his shoulders to loosen them before he began his work. In a practiced, fluid motion he rid himself of his pants, his hands more tender and understanding as he freed her of her undergarments, letting his eyes roam her now fully nude form. Her hands came down to cover herself, to preserve some sense of modesty, drawing another chuckle from him. Meeting her gaze once more he knew she was not looking down to see his full glory, the size she felt frightening her. He grabbed his belt and tenderly bound her wrists together above her head, securing them to the headboard.

"Why?" She asked as she gingerly tugged against her bondage, looking up at him and trusting him to not hurt her. He leaned down, capturing her lips once more as his hands cup her breasts, weighing the globes of flesh. She gasped at the contact, her flesh tingling at the sensation of his touch and her heart pumping blood faster through her veins. He tried to put her at ease with his touches, letting his long, nimble, yet calloused fingers caress her breasts and his thumb circling the nipple, making them bud.

"To teach you that I have every right to look on your body as modesty has no place in my bed." His whispered against her ear, the feeling of his breath making her let out a small mewl like sound and he watched as her body shifted at the sensation. With a devilish grin he licked at the shell of her ear, enjoying the way she responded to such a simple action. His mouth moved down, licking, nibbling and suckling at her throat, drawing out moans and whimpers of need from her, her hips arching up and her eyes closing in pleasure. He moved towards the back of her neck, scraping his teeth across the flesh and was rewarded by a loud cry of pleasure, her whole body jerking under him. He felt himself harden even more at the way she responded to such a simple touch. "If that is how you cry out when I play with your neck how will you sound when I give you true pleasure?" He moved down to lick at her breasts, his tongue circling her hardening buds and then scraping his teeth against them, making her nipples stand at full attention; for him. Her legs were clenched together as her hips moved instinctively at the way he was manipulating her body. He listened to her soft voice as she whimpered and mewled, hearing his name as a soft chant in her pleasure. His fingers wandered down her stomach towards her thighs, easily encouraging her thighs to part for him, his knees following to keep her spread. His hands stroked her inner thighs higher and higher towards her center, her breathing in turn getting shallower. She closed her eyes and laid her head back, her hands gripping onto his belt as he stoked the fire in her blood. When his fingers finally touched her she moaned out his name as if he had already brought her over the edge. All of her innocent reactions made his mouth water. His finger dragged up and down her treasure, a distinct male satisfaction humming in him and a predatory smile on his face as he gazed down at her, she was so moist. His finger caressed her petals from base to tip, his other hand gripping her hip to try and hold her steady since she was wriggling beneath him, her body struggling between accepting the fire he was creating or trying to extinguish it at the same time. His finger slowly rubbed its way past her petals till he reached her entrance, his finger circling it, teasing her, drawing out more of her heated reactions. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked into his eyes, her lips parted as she tried to get air to her lungs. He could see the lust that was clouding over that innocent doe eyes look. He wanted to keep the image of her innocent eyes tucked in his memories since after tonight they would never be fully pure again. He was tainting her in a way that no one else ever would. His red tongue darted out to lick his lips, as if tasting that innocence in the air. "Keep your eyes on mine." He growled at her, pure authority and unquestionable dominance in his voice. He could feel her whole frame tremble under him at the words and she submissively nodded her head, her eyes fighting to stay open as his thumb found her pearl and began to lovingly assault the pleasure nub. She let out a shaky cry and her hands gripped his belt tighter, her body stiffening at the touch. With a wicked, licentious grin he slipped his finger into her wet core, watching with hunger as she cried out and her eyes clouded over, her innocence nearly drowned in her lust. He could feel her straining under him to move her hips.

"Oh God what are you doing to me!" She cried out, her core willingly letting him in as her innocent mind raced to catch up and understand. It was harder and harder to keep her eyes open, her eyelids growing heavier and her hips begging to be released so she could explore the new sensation. Instead of granting her freedom he began to slide his finger in and out of her, licking his lips as she cried out helplessly under the pleasure he was giving her.

"The only name you will ever cry out in pleasure is mine. God has no power here, only I do. I can give you pleasure…" He curled his finger inside her and twisted, watching as her legs moved restlessly at such an intimate caress. Without warning he pulled his finger from her, a whimper of protest escaping her throat. "And I can take it away. Do you understand?" He leaned down closer to her, sucking on her neck and tormenting her as he dragging his finger along her womanhood. She nodded her head, her breathing shallow and her skin already flushed. "Say it. Say that you understand the arrangement." He hissed dangerously into her ear, his eyes locked onto hers, and try as she might to escape his gaze she couldn't.

"I-I…I…understand." He stared into her eyes without saying anything else, instead plunging his finger deeper inside her and began trying to add the second; wanting to prepare her so he would not paint this memory for her as one of pure pain at his hands. He sucked on her neck, finding a spot that made her entire body arch against his. When he managed the second finger he began to stretch her, swallowing her whimpers with his lips. His tongue plunging into her mouth as a prelude to what he would be doing to her other moist cavern with another eager part of his own body. Her head felt like it was spinning, her blood pumping through her veins so quickly, rushing to take all the sensations and leave them to pool between her thighs where his fingers wrought their terrible pleasure. He coaxed her body into stretching for his fingers, being rewarded for his gentle care with more of her fluids. She pulled away from his ravenous lips to greedily gasp for air to fill her lungs, her face flushed and her back arching slightly as he explored her. After what felt like an eternity of torment for both of them he pulled his fingers free and settled himself between her thighs. His hands gripped her hips firmly, his fingers rubbing gentle circles as his lavished her neck with attention. She could feel the tip of him nudging between her folds, bracing herself for the pain. A scream broke her heavy breathing as he bit into the delicate spot of her throat, his hips following swiftly to penetrate her. The second strangled cry came as she felt him invade her, shocked at the member he had buried within her. Tears sprang up in her eyes as the pain set in, her small shoulders shaking as he kept his teeth in the flesh of her throat. She was tense and her body tried to push the painful intrusion from her, only earning her a moan from him and his hips pressing closer, a weak groan leaving her as even more of him entered her. How much more of him was there for her to take! With his teeth still gripping her flesh she felt his tongue lap at the skin, his hands on her hips caressing her thighs to ease her discomfort. "It hurts…please…I can't take all of you…" She pleaded with him weakly, her hands still trapped above her and her legs stiff. He pulled back from her throat to nibble at her ear, her body shuddering as the bite mark was exposed and air caressing the abused flesh, the moisture there making the air cooler.

"You can…it is just a matter of you accepting more. Relax yourself and I will show you." He pulled away from her, looking over her, enjoying his handy work. Looking between her thighs he grinned at the sight of their bodies connected so intimately. Shifting their position so her bottom was resting on his thighs as he sat back, his hands gripped her hips gently. She finally glanced down to where they were joined and a groan of helplessness escaped her as she saw exactly what he wished to bury within her. "Relax." The command was powerful and she had no choice to obey. It was if he could control her with just a word and a glance. She took deep breaths in an effort to try and calm her body, each exhale punctuated by him sliding more of his manhood into her, wringing a sound between pleasure and pain from her. It felt like an eternity before he was buried to the hilt in her, a groan in his throat as her tightness squeezed on him and he had to remember to not treat her like most of the women that came to his bed, disposable women for his pleasure.

"You can if you want to…" He looked down into her brown eyes, reaching up and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear delicately. "I love you…I want you to enjoy our night." He leaned down and placed a tender chaste kiss on her lips and he slowly began to withdraw from her, missing the warmth of her wrapped around him and sliding back in to feel the most intimate of embraces again.

"We both will enjoy it." He moaned into her ear, his hips slowly building a rhythm of retreat and advance, taking a pert bud into his mouth and suckling on it as a babe. She groaned out as her tightness was forced to stretch again and again with the waves of his thrusts, her head tossed back into his pillow as she tried to relax under his large frame, listening to his voice as he took his pleasure as gently as he could from her. Gradually the pain lessened and she shyly, instinctively moved against him, a small sound between a moan and a whimper caressing his ears and he helped her move against him, his hips meeting with hers over and over again. "Try to tighten your grip on me." She did as he asked, rewarded by his moan of pleasure and a particularly deep thrust into her. She was writhing under him as he gained carnal knowledge of her, teaching her the ways of womanhood that had been left in mystery. She moaned his name when she could gather enough breath and coherent thought. Slickened by her desires he plundered her core, imprinting himself in her as she gasped greedily for more of him and for air to fill her lungs. He was losing his hold on his need, his rhythm quickening till he was thrusting into her so fast she was moaning continuously, her hips eagerly rocking up to mirror his in enthusiasm but lacking in skill. His mouth descended on her lips, his tongue tasting her as they drove their bodies together to become one. With a guttural moan into her mouth he braced himself over her with his arms at her sides, his mouth moving to the column of her throat to sink his teeth in as his body buried itself in her, releasing his essence inside her. She cried out as he finished, her body arching up against his as her spine was assaulted by unfamiliar tingles and she followed after him into pleasure, her body slowly falling back to the bed beneath. Her breathing was shaky at best, her eyes closed from the blood that seemed to rush through her veins in release, bringing with it as feeling of being completely relaxed and of fulfillment. A deep chuckle came to her ears, slithering inside her mind and bringing another shudder from her, her legs clasps tightly about his. "How do you feel now Setareh?" The nineteen year old princess looked up at him, her face flushed brighter than a tomato and her flesh as warm as if she had lain in the sun for hours.

**(End Lemon. It's is safe to continue reading now.)**

"You very well how I feel Vlad." She pouted at his teasing, looking up at her still bound wrists and trying to untie them. Vlad kissed the bit mark he had left on her. "You won't regret this…will you?" Setareh asked Vlad weakly, frightened he would change his mind after he had want he wanted. Vlad reached up and released her from his makeshift bondage, rubbing her wrists to return the blood to her hands. "Vlad…you don't regret this do you?" She was worried at his prolonged silence, trying to sit up only to be reminded that he was still nestled inside her. Her mind started to spiral with panic if this was his rejection. Vlad reached out with his left hand to grasp her own, bringing them up and intertwining their fingers, placing a kiss on the back of hers.

"I do not regret this Setareh. I just wish it did not take me so long to come to this choice." Vlad had lost his throne after a scant two months, being driven to seek the protection from the man that had ousted his father and brother. At twenty two Vlad had yet to regain his throne, but he could feel his luck was going to turn. He just needed the right opportunity. A shifting from Setareh's hips reminded him very well that he was in bed with her and he brought his thoughts to the conquest he had gained. She was smiling up at him and trying to crawl out from under his weight. With a chuckle Vlad pulled away from her, going to get the wet cloth to wipe himself off. "Are you going to tell your family?" The entire situation had not been discussed in favor of the pleasant rosy version of the world love put them in.

"Vlad…conversion from Islam is a death sentence." Setareh shyly took the wet cloth from him as she wiped herself, pulling the sheet up over her body. He reached to grab for the sheet before he noticed her shiver. Leaving it he sat once more, his fingers playing in her hair.

"I was talking about you being a married woman." Vlad kissed her lips, her hands resting on his chest as he pulled her against him. "About you being my wife." He pulled her left hand up, and rubbed his thumb over the simple silver band on her finger. With a sigh Setareh put her head on his shoulder.

"I suppose I must tell them. Would be terrible for them to send someone after me and find out that way about us. I just wish to have none of them in my life anymore. Not in mine, not in yours…" He could feel her soft lips pulled into a dreamy smile on her face. "Not in our children's." He petted her hair in a calming manner. "I'll ask Hamid to send word to them of our marriage. My grandfather liked you well enough; if he gets the news first he will tell them in a way that leaves them no choice but to let me stay." Setareh moved to kiss Vlad, her lips pressing against him and trying to mimic what he had done to her. A heavy pounding on the door made her jerk away and pull more of the bedding up to cover her body. Vlad slowly stood from the bed, pulling on his pants quickly and grabbing his dagger, ready to punish the interloper. Setareh watched him from behind the sheets as he opened the door a crack, the dagger exposed but he kept his body to block any view into the room from outside. She could hear another man speaking quickly in Vlad's native tongue, seeing how Vlad's muscles tensed even more than she thought possible as the other person spoke. Setareh wished she could understand what they were speaking about. Vlad closed the door, not looking back to her as he crossed himself and looked out the window. She waited patiently for him to speak.

"He took Constantinople." Vlad's voice was full of loathing, a shiver running down her spine. "That dirty heathen son of his took Constantinople. 'Sultan' Mehmed II now claims it for himself." With a movement so sudden Vlad sent a vase flying into the wall; the vase shattered and left broken shards on the floor. Setareh flinched, pulling herself from the bed and pulling his tunic on to cover herself, cleaning up the broken shards. "Stop that! You are my wife for heaven's sake. Let the chamber maids deal with." Setareh looked at the broken glass shards in her hands and slowly put them in a pile next to the wall. "Have you no senses woman. Just because we are not in a place of my own does not mean we are servants here." His hissed at her, she ignored his harsh words as best she could. He was raging and she was the only object to listen to him. Setareh gave him credit for not being harsher with his words to her.

"I do not care about that Vlad. I just want to be with you." She said softly under her breath.

Transylvania…1453

_(They two of them would be speaking Farsi since Vlad was actually trained in it and it is Setareh's native language.)_

**Chapter End.**


	24. Choices

Vance Home….6 a.m.

Lina dragged herself through the front door; she had already kidnapped, been an accessory to murder tonight, as well as disposing of the evidence, she did not feel like getting kicked out because her boyfriend came in. Kicking her shoes off and hanging up her coat she wandered into the kitchen, grabbing the nearest stash of sugar filled edibles, not caring about her waist line right now. Stuffing her face full of the treats she swallowed them without tasting anything. She walked upstairs to her room carrying her shoes. Deciding that one day of missing classes would not kill her. Sir Integra…maybe, school…definitely not. Closing the door she locked it behind her, not wanting to deal with anything more than showering and putting her clothes in a hydrogen peroxide wash. Stripping down she cleaned under her fingernails and plugged the sink, putting her clothes in and pouring a whole bottle of the perioxide in and then turning hot water in so it would soak the clothes. She would get her shoes after her clothes were done. Turning the shower on she used a scrub to get her skin off, wincing as she scrubbed as much as she could without bleeding. She treated her scalp more delicately, not wanting to rip out chunks of hair; hers always had a hard time growing back in. As she finished she wrapped up in her fluffy purple robe, putting her clothes in a baggy and swapping her shoes into the hydrogen peroxide. She unlocked her door and made the trip down stairs to put her clothes in a normal wash and dry cycle. The house was eerily silent and her normally paranoid mind began to play tricks with her, shadows hiding in the corners of her sight. Turning on every single light downstairs Lina cuddled herself on the couch, turning the TV on for the reassuring background noise. She only had to stay up for an hour more, with such a small load it should not take too long. The images of the gruesome dismemberment and murder suddenly hit her with full force. What had she done? She didn't feel guilty, but her future would go to hell in a hand basket if the murder was picked up. A cry of despair escaped her lips.

"Oh god…What have I done? I'm so screwed! If the police investigate and find any evidence of me there it would be a shit storm! And Sir Integra would definitely find out about this. Oh god oh god oh god!" She picked up her cell phone, dialing Alucard. This was not good! She twitched and wriggled in discomfort as she waited for him to pick up. When he picked up she piped up before the Alucard could even speak. "I'm kinda freaking out. This is going to destroy my entire future if I get caught and go to prison for this. What am I supposed to do?" Her voice was high pitched and jumbled, her heart beat jumping with her realization of just how deep she was buried in the metaphorical hole.

"First you will stop screaming over the phone. Second, why are we having this conversation now instead of when I was with you?" Alucard voice was as smooth as polished obsidian, calming her nerves a bit with his confidence.

"Because it didn't hit till right now just how…bad this is. I'm scared Alucard…my whole future is at stake. If I go to jail. I'm shaming my whole family. My mom's going to off herself if I ruin my life. What am I going to do…what am I supposed to do? I'm scared, what if Sir Integra finds out." She could not stop the tears rolling down her cheeks and the wavering of her voice. She had felt safe with him, like the world was theirs for the taking, like they were untouchable, but now...all alone...she didn't know what to do.

"You are supposed to calm down, clean up the evidence, and go to sleep. Sir Hellsing won't do anything to you because she is never going to find out. And if she did, She'll come after me." His voice was so confident she couldn't help but believe him.

"That doesn't seem right. I'm just as guilty as you...I wouldn't ask you to take the blame." Lina's mood was a mix of relief and guilt.

"I could have stopped it, erased the priests' memory and then taken you home. But I was the one that did the deed. I was your sword of vengeance, you just gave me a target. You wanted him to suffer, and I made it happen." His voice was a dark, husky affair over the phone, and Lina was thankful he was not there in person, she would have creamed herself, she nearly did picturing the dark look on his face and the way his lips would move and expose his fangs so carelessly.

"So what does that mean for Sir Integra when she comes after you?" She could hear Alucard smirking from ear to ear at the submissive quality his voice brought out in her.

"Everything will be fine. Don't you trust me Lina?" His voice was teasing and she had to clench her thighs together and bit her lip hold back a whimper. She swore he could still hear it.

"Yes…I trust you." She took a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she tried to convince herself that everything would be alright. She trusted Alucard to handle this, but now what would he want in return? "I just...I just wish I was with you now instead of here alone." She didn't want to get off the phone yet; she doubted she would be able to sleep now that this panic was running through her.

"Lina, I am telling you to stay home and sleep. I will see you at dusk. It will feel better. I promise. Now...Good morning." There was a click as he ended the phone call and she was left there in discomfort, trying to keep his voice in her mind to sooth her frazzled nerves. He was absolutely right; she was too much of a mess to even think. She turned the TV off and headed upstairs, planning on leaving her shoes outside on her balcony to dry. She could pick up her clothes later. The sun light was starting to come through the windows, almost wiping away the darkness she had embraced and welcoming her back into the comforting safety of reality. She was glad today was one of the few non-foggy days in England. As she closed the door to her room she could hear Matt and the others coming home.

Matt was in less than chipper spirits. The night had been putting out spot fires. The club been rented out to a private birthday party for some girl's sweet sixteen, a fact that her parents had not mentioned when they had put a down payment for the party, including an open bar in the arrangements. He had spent half the night arguing with the parents that just because it was their daughters' birthday did not mean she and her under aged friends could get drunk. Then was the matter of male strippers. With a growl he ran his fingers through his hair at the resurging frustration.

"Let it go mate. They can be as angry as they want, no one else will get on their side about you refusing to let those kids get drunk or have strippers, mostly because they can't really say that and not get bad reputation." Tonight the club returns to its normal routine and you can take the night off." Steve said as he shrugged out of his coat and boots. The twins had been busy keeping the peace between Matt and the overly permissive parents. Kyle grunted his agreement, heading straight upstairs to the shower before Steve came and used all the hot water. Seth was the only one of them that had a mildly nice evening, he'd been off last night on a date with his boyfriend, and was probably not coming home till later in the day.

"I guess I could use the night off, wish I had something planned though." Matt took his glasses off, cracking his back as he got ready to simply hit the hay. "Maybe I should take Samantha to see a movie." Steve walked upstairs with Matt.

"To bad miss high and mighty decided you weren't her type. You could be spending your night with her." Matt delivered a quick smack to Steve's head.

"She's a lady, not a harlot. Show some bloody respect." Matt grumbled, finishing his assent while Steve rubbed the back of his head, hearing the water rushing through the pipes as Kyle took a shower.

"I wasn't even being perverted. I was just saying you could be dating her, unless 'sex' just sprouted from my lips without my consent." Walking into his room, Steve turned towards the stairs. "Maybe you're the one with sex on the brain…arse."

* * *

'Mary Our Mother' a Foster Home outskirts of London…8:12 a.m.

Anderson was overjoyed and heartbroken at the same time as he walked into the cafeteria, all the children were chatting happily with each other, some playing games at the table. Seeing so many bright and happy children warmed the Paladin's heart, but the few that sent frightened, mistrusting glances his way before purposely turning their backs on him. Anderson's gloved hands clenched into fists. The priest would pay. Sean was walking behind Anderson, looking out over the group of children, watching the emotions play on the Paladin's face. The mother Superior came over, the older woman smiling up at the two men, leading them to their rooms.

"I am so thankful to the Vatican for finally sending in someone to replace the wretch. The coward fled when he got the call that you were coming. Would you like to speak with the children that he…" The nun could not bring herself to say anything, her wrinkled face scrunched in disgust. Anderson reached out his hand, placing it on the woman's shoulders and squeezing gently. She dabbed at her eyes and knew he understood.

"Nay, I donna want 'em to be force to see me. Tell the children Aye'm here for 'em when they wish ta speak with me. I must go an' begin preparing da sermon for mass." Anderson gave the nun a warm smile, walking down the halls to his new room, Sean following the older priest like an obedient puppy, his hair still covering the scar on his forehead. "As fer ye, read all five chapters of Lamentations an' be ready ta discuss it wit me at supper." Sean nodded, putting Anderson's things down into the priest new room and taking the small room next to him. Looking around the small, sterile white room, and the very humble cot, with a tiny desk and lamp Sean took a deep breath, pulling out his bible and sitting down at the chair to begin his study.

'We need to find that vampire and kill him.' The werewolf growled softly in Sean's mind, it was still weak from the silver cross burn.

"Be gone with you beast from hell, I am a child of God, and no devil shall tempt me." Sean focused his eyes onto the words as he began his readings.

'That vampire is the devil. Kill him for God.' The wolf would not relent. Its pride was hurt from losing the battle, eager to settle the score. This was far beyond that sniveling excuse of a girl; it was about the king of vampires.

"Silence demon! You are nothing more than temptation poisoning my soul. I will not listen to you. Leave me to my studies." There was a sigh of relief from Sean as the wolf was silent, reading the Bible and taking care to really understand it.

* * *

Hellsing…10 a.m.

There was a tense air as Sir Hellsing waited for the response from Iscariot concerning the issue of Anderson. She was pacing her office, the journals she discovered resting on the desk with the normal paperwork pushed to the side. So far the journals were mostly scientific revelations Van Helsing had learned through dissection and experimentation on the vampire. Then there were the personal notes in the journals about the ways those discoveries could be applied, and how they could be abused. Medical science would have benefited so much from these discoveries, but Abraham had made the choice that the possible military applications of his discoveries made it too dangerous to be shared. Abraham had been right. The Nazi's had been trying to use science to mimic vampirism's effects during World War II. The other journals had been full of the memories Van Helsing had been able to draw out from the vampire. Integra probably knew more about Dracula than a room full of historians. It made her see the vampire that she had know for ten years in a brand new light. Of course she would not hold the stories over Alucard. They had been shared with Abraham as a form of help, as a patient to a doctor. Out of respect for the vampire being there for her during the difficult parts of her life, helping her hone herself in an effective leader, and of the bond shared between her family and him she would not abuse it. She glanced at the photograph once more of the original hunting party. The Harkers' looked aged from the ordeal, and this was the only picture where she had ever seen Quincey Morris. The phone on her desk rang, and she could see this was the call she had been waiting for.

"Sir Hellsing. Who is speaking?" Her tone was calm, not exposing her anger.

"Ah…Sir Hellsing herself. This is Maxwell, director of Iscariot. You seem to be upset with the Vatican's decision to place one of our priests to an orphanage outside London. I am sorry to say that we simply cannot change yet. We have to follow protocol for finding a permanent replacement to our retiring priest." Maxwell's voice was polite, but Integra swore she could hear the serpentine hiss under the catholic's words.

"I have no problem with the Vatican removing a pedophile priest, but I must protest the purposeful placement of the Paladin when we both know how antagonistic he can be with Alucard. They will eventually cross paths and I will not be held responsible for the destruction." She kept her tone calm, but no doubt Maxwell could hear her displeasure with him now.

"I am sorry that you feel you are incapable of keeping your pet monster under control, but we will not budge because of your inability." There was open hostility now between them, the semblance of calm melting as the other picked away at their composure. Integra let out a harsh laugh.

"Alucard is a man with a vast army of souls at his disposal, an army outnumbering the armies of many nations. If the Paladin chooses to start a fight, he is declaring war on Alucard. I might send the remains to you in a shoe box, if there is so much. Good day." She hung up on Maxwell, a snide smile on her lips. Let that arrogant Vatican bastard chew on that for a while. She pulled out a cigar, lighting it and taking a long drag off of it, puffing the smoke and watching it curl through the air. Sitting down she finished the cigar as she began to work through the papers piled on her desk. Once she finished with her normal paperwork she picked up a new journal, hoping it would have more of the information she wanted. It started off with the transcriptions of the discussions between Abraham and Dracula; many of them were filled with barbed comments and ended in Abraham leaving the vampire in agony. Integra could not decide whether she agreed with torturing the vampire king or not. Then Integra flipped through to the end of the last journal and came across something highly interesting. She did not want to read it in her office. She ordered her late lunch, planning on taking it in Van Helsing's old office, sitting behind his desk as she began her research.

* * *

Hellsing Manor…May 24 1912

The sound of coughing could be heard past the door, Dracula looking at it expectantly, trying not to feel saddened that the man who defeated him was dying. Abraham was hiding his declining health from his family and his friends. He did not want them to worry. The door opened, Abraham walking in and closing it firmly behind him. The doctor was tired; he was ready to sleep forever. Dracula would not admit it, but he selfishly wanted to the doctor to keep living, he did not want to be alone with his madness again. Sanity was only truly valued after being pulled from the brink of the abyss. The doctor seated himself on the stool, bracing it against the wall for support. Dracula sat on the edge of the table, watching his unlikely friend with an inexpressive face. Abraham looked up at the vampire, a smile crossing dry, cracked lips.

"You can see the veil of death over me Vampire. Does it disgust you that you were defeated by a mortal who is so frail?" Abraham pulled out the journals from the pockets of his red coat, setting them on the table for the vampire to see.

"It was an honor to be defeated by someone that was my better. My only regret is that I will not be joining you. Only men defeat monsters doctor. What makes a man is his frailty and the ability to still achieve greatness." The corners of Dracula's lips turned up in a sad smile of understanding. "Why are you spending your last hours with me? I am your enemy." Doctor Van Helsing mimicked his smile, his eyes shining with the last lights of life.

"I rather spend my last hours finishing our work than listening to everyone cry over an old man. I want to return to the topic you refuse to speak about. Maybe as a dying wish you will tell me. Then these journals are yours, so you can piece your life together." Abraham did not need to listen to the tears of his family. He knew it would crush his daughter to lose both him and her mother in such a short time, but there was no choice. Abraham could not, nor would he forestall death longer than he needed. He was worried about leaving Caleb alone to take the helm of the organization at such a tender age. Seward would help Caleb grow into the new position, and Arthur would help Caleb any way he could. The vampire dropped his smile, looking at the doctor and then over to the journals.

"What will happen to me after you die Doctor? Are you going to send them down here to finish me? I will not die easily. No matter how badly I wish for this nightmare to end I will not give up." Dracula spoke softly, the dangerous edge sharp underneath. Abraham nodded with a knowing smile on his lips.

"I know monster, I know. Let us worry about our hostilities when this comes to a close. I am a doctor, first and foremost. I will not leave my patient without finishing what we set out to do." The pen was scratching against the paper once more, and the electric hum from the lights. "Will you indulge me with this topic?" There was a moment of silence before Dracula laid back on the slab, closing his flaming red eyes as he hypnotized himself. "Do you know who Setareh is?"

"She was a foreign princess….She was my friend…She was my wife." There was a pause as Dracula remembered what they had so far about Setareh. "She married me when she was nineteen. She fled to me from her family to escape an arranged marriage to someone in the Sultan's palace. She was so devoted to me, so in love with me."

"Why did you take her as your wife?" Abraham wanted to get to the reason; there was no way to confirm Setareh's feelings.

"Because she needed me. She needed me to protect her, she needed me too be the pillar of strength. And I needed to be needed." Dracula's tone was measured, not giving away much to someone that had never met him. But Abraham had known the vampire for years, and knew the meanings behind those words.

"So there was no love from you to her? How could you marry her knowing she loved you and you did not love her?" There was no judgment in Van Helsings' voice, just the need to know.

"I did love her. I loved her because of her need for me. She had all the traits a wife should, and she did not question me. She was a wonderful girl, and she desired only to be with me. How could I not love her? She was like my pet. I could do no wrong by her. She never even glanced at another man once she was mine, and she understood me." Dracula's tone was drifting farther and farther into despair as he remembered his first young wife.

"Did her death hurt you?" Van Helsings' voice was almost fatherly. Abraham could see how the girls' behavior fed directly into Dracula's ideals and narcissism, but those were not the problems for him to fix. "Do you remember her death?"

"I want to wash my hands of the whole affair. I do not want to remember. It was a terrible death." That statement was surprising. What kind of death could be considered terrible by the monster before him?

"You must tell me. Only then will our work be completed vampire." Abraham spoke with all his authority, suppressing the coughs in his throat. "How did your wife die?"

* * *

Transylvania…1455

Vlad was in a foul mood. The meeting had left a sour taste in his mouth. How could they ask him to do such a thing? He had made an oath, and that oath was just as binding before God as the one he gave to the Order. If he stepped back from the emotions of the situations he completely understood the point of such actions. But he could not bring himself to agree. The prize would be great, but there was a high cost. Even if there was no emotion surely God would punish him for such an action. He sat on his horse, ready to ride into the untamed forest and hunt, hoping the kill would help sort the matter out in his mind. He wanted his throne, he wanted it because it was his birthright, and because he could make his people and his country great, and use it to defeat the Turks and prove the supremacy of the Church of Christ. He had two years of waiting, two long hard years of biding his time and making all the right connections, even supporting his cause and asking for the Pope's blessing, but he had never thought he would have to gain it in such a way.

The horse trotted slowly into the forest, nibbling on foliage along the way since its distracted rider did not stop it. His wife would be waiting for him in their room. No doubt she would still be sitting there, struggling with that book as she tried to learn his mother tongue. He had tutored Setareh himself to try and expedite her learning, but those attempts had been less than helpful. The tutoring had frequently ended on the bed with her barely able to speak in her own language under his body as he growled in pleasure. She was making more progress without him there to distract her. He could not put Setareh aside as his wife. And he would not allow them to just annul his marriage to her. It was even more than his emotions; she would have nowhere to go. She struggled to speak Romanian, her Arabic was too formal to let her blend with common peoples, and she could not return to her family in such disgrace, they would kill her. If he set her aside she was a good as dead, but if he did not they would not support his bid for the Wallachian throne. What was he to do? Could he give up everything he had been working for so he would not have to set his wife aside? No, he needed to take back the throne, it would be his legacy. Maybe they just needed to meet Setareh, so they could see for themselves that she was not going to subvert him and aid the Turks. Yes, it would prove that she was wholly under his thumb and he could keep her. He would have to arrange such a meeting.

The sound of twigs snapping up ahead drew his attention, an arrow rushing through the air and embedding itself in the doe's side, the deer letting out a pitiful sound as it started to run. He urged the horse after the doe, it would be best to put the doe out of her misery. It took him an hour to find the doe; the beast had lain down and was in agony. Sliding off his horse he walked over to the doe, taking his hunting knife and slicing the doe's throat so it would bleed out, letting the blood run over his hands as the life slipped from the beast. He began to butcher the meat so he would not drag the carcass back with him. Skinning the doe he used its hide as a makeshift bag for the meat he wanted, leaving the carcass for the wolves. It was night by the time he returned, putting the horse back in its stall to be cared for as he tossed the meat to a scullery maid, asking for it to be cooked and sent up to his room for supper. He wanted to explain to Setareh exactly what he need from her in private. Quickly he washed his hands and face of blood, walking calming through the keep towards his room and his wife.

"Excuse me…Are you Prince Dracula?" A feminine voice came to his ears. Turning he was meant with a very lovely young woman, her black tresses tucked up under her headdress, a golden cross hanging at her neck. He nodded a yes to her. This woman was very fetching. "I am Lady Elisabeta…I was told to give you this note from our host." She held out the sealed parchment, smiling widely at him and giggling as their hands touched.

"Thank you. You may tell him I have received it, and to expect a response before supper." He took it from her, tucking it away since he had a suspicion what it was about. "Are you a member of Hunyadi's clan?" Vlad could not help but smile at this pretty young lady.

"Only by marriage and even then it is a distant cousin's marriage." She waved off her relation to Hunyadi, blushing as she continued to smile at him. "They say you will be fighting to get the Wallachian throne. I hope you succeed in your endeavor. It will be nice to have another Christian nation between us and those terrible Muslims." Vlad chuckled at her words.

"So you only wish me success because it will be of benefit to you. I will do my best to fulfill those wishes then. You will have to excuse me; I need to return to my wife. I will hopefully have a chance to meet you again." He kissed Elisabetta's hand before briskly walking back to his room. He knocked to give her warning he was coming it so she would not be startled. She had teased that he was so silent he may as well be a shadow. He didn't hear her response and entered his room, expecting her to be sitting in front of the fireplace and reading, mending or other such but she was not. "Setareh?"

"I am here Vlad." She voice sounded weak and he walked around the bed, finding her resting against the cold stone wall and tears in her eyes. He kneels down next to her, his hands reaching out to caress her. She flung herself at his chest, nestling her face in the crook of his neck with her hands grasping his arms for dear life. Slowly Vlad's arms encircled her and pulled her against him, stroking her hair as he waited for Setareh to speak. He could feel her nuzzling his throat, her lips placing kisses along his exposed neck and jaw, working her way towards his ear and giving it a nip. The tingle of pleasure made him chuckle. What had gotten into his little starling? "I want to make love Vlad. Please…I missed you." She gasped as he pulled her body flush against his, easily picking her up and tossing her to the bed.

"If you miss me this much after a day what will you do after I've been away to war for months." He chuckled, easily disrobing as he watched her shyly remove her own clothes.

* * *

Hellsing…3 p.m.

"I do not need to read that." Integra groaned as she came to a 'descriptive' part of the recollection. She had no idea why Abraham took the time to transcribe these parts of the memories. She tried to skim past the 'adult' part of the memory, finding the relevant narrative picking back up five pages later. She had picked at her lunch, much more interested in the words on the pages in front of her than her rumbling stomach. Taking a quick break to rest her eyes Integra rolled her head back, feeling it adjust. Rising she removed her coat before cracking her back, stretching out from having been sitting so long. The door to the study opened, Walter coming in and bowing politely to Integra.

"Sorry to interrupt you Sir, but the mail just arrived." He was holding the letters out for her to take.

"Is all my mail here Walter?" She asked, looking at Walter expectantly.

"Yes Sir, all your letters are accounted for." He was not offended at all; he knew very well that he had crossed a line of trust with her by taking her letters. "I am sorry about the incident. It was only with your interests at heart. He is not exactly at your level, but I am simply a butler, so it is not my place. I am sorry I crossed the line."

"Indeed. It is only dating. I appreciate the sentiment behind it Walter, but I am not going to be deceived in my home." Integra looked through the letters, finding an invitation to a Christmas gala. None of the letters were from Matt. "Thank you Walter, and take the lunch. I doubt I will be eating any more of it." She set the letter down, continuing to stretch and sip from her tea cup. Walter collected the dishes to take down to the kitchens. When she had settled herself once more Integra picked up the journal, intent on finishing the entry. Skimming through the ample love making she began again.

* * *

Transylvania…1455

He stoked the fire, listening to it crackle as the wood slowly turned to ash, staring into it flames to watch them dance and play. Setareh slowly came up behind him, resting her hands on his shoulder and her body pressed against his back. Vlad smirked, turning around to bring her in for a kiss, pinning her against the warmed hearth.

"Princess, my spirit is more than willing, but my body needs a moment to rise to the occasion. Besides, you need to be able to walk in the morning." He grinned at her, his lips kissing her neck, watching with hunger at the way her eyes fluttered close and her hands clasped him to keep her grounded. When he pulled back he let her sigh in relief, pulling her to sit with him on a rug before the fire, watching the firelight play in her hair. She was quiet, resting her head on his shoulder. He felt a drop of moisture on his shoulder, looking down at Setareh, wiping the next one off her cheek. "What is the matter?"

"I am so tired of being cooped up in this place. I am not used to not travelling like this." Straightening herself in his lap she grasped his hand. "I want to go out to the woods tomorrow, just you and me, so I can be outdoors again. I need to feel grass under my feet. We do not have to stay long, just enough so I can breathe fresh air. I need…" He put his finger to her lips, silencing her effectively.

"Fine, tomorrow we will have lunch out in the forest. And then after I regain my throne we can travel all over my lands to our hearts content." He watched the delight fill her eyes and she kissed him deeply.

"Thank you…thank you Vlad." She wrapped her arms around him, cuddling into him for warmth and in joy. He reached up and petted her like a pet, holding her close and not letting her see the worry that crossed his face. They both had been forgetting the world in each others' arms, the response to Hunyadi had not been penned, the letter had not even been unsealed, then there was still the matter of telling her about trying to gain the acceptance of his major military and political supporters. Tomorrow, in the forest would be a better time. Standing Vlad handed her his tunic, pulling his pants on once more as he sat down to respond to the parchment. She knew he was working, instead taking the break to nibble on some food and bring it to him, going to lay in their bed and drift off to sleep. With his response in hand he pulled on a fresh tunic before silently exiting his room and heading towards Hunyadi's chambers since it was well after dinner. Knocking on Hunyadi's door, Vlad waited to hand his response over. When the door opened Hunyadi took the parchment, putting it aside. "I assure you that these plans were given careful thought."

"Prince Dracula…You should have been at dinner." Hunyadi's voice was firm. Looking at the younger royal with a face that gave away nothing about whether or not it was anger or disappointment.

"I felt the need to stay in for supper. My wife's health is…odd these days. I should take this opportunity to let you know that I will be taking her out for fresh air around noon, see if maybe that will replenish her health." Vlad spoke firmly, leaving no room to debate the topic in as polite a fashion as he could with his host.

"It may be kinder if you let her health fail. There has been an accusation of witchcraft against your wife. Worse yet, the Bishop agrees with those claims against your wife to be a witch. The church is offering you a full annulment if you hand her over to be put through the tests." Hunyadi still gave nothing of his own emotions away.

"Who brought the charges against her? And exactly what is the claim? How could the Bishop simply say she is, they gave her no chance to defend herself." Vlad could barely hold his anger. This was unforgivable! They were accusing his wife of witchcraft, and indirectly accusing him of allowing her to do such things.

"The Bishop will not give a name as to who brought the claim, but the claim is she is bewitching you. The claim is she used the devil's power to make you marry her and keep your affection to herself. The claim also says she will make you betray your church to help the godless Turks march straight into Rome. The Bishop waved her right to speak because of the severity of the claims. These claims come well in time with politics Prince. I have spoken with your wife and I find nothing wrong with her other than being slow with languages, not that we should expect much from a woman in the realm of education especially from such a region of the earth. But the others are determined to have her removed from your side. I do not have to tell you what they are going to put her through. This will end badly my friend. Your throne and the order, or this girl; those are the choices. Goodnight." The door was closed before Vlad could find a retort. This was not happening. Why would God allow this to happen to him? What could he do? What would he do? In a daze he walked back to his room, opening the door and looking to the bed where Setareh slept, unaware of what had just been thrust upon her. Closing the door firmly behind him, Vlad sat before the fire, keeping it flaming as he became lost in his thoughts, using the flames as projection for the thoughts running through his mind.

"God please…guide me through this valley of death."

* * *

Hellsing Manor…May 25 1912

The pen finally stopped flowing across the page, the incessant scratching no longer filling the room. The vampire looked up at the ceiling, bloody tears leaking down his cheeks. The room was silent and thick with sadness and the onset of death. The journal was closed and set on top of the others, the pen resting uselessly now on the table. It was freezing in the room, and Van Helsing had to fight the trembling of his hands. The doctor held out a handkerchief for the vampire, letting Dracula wipe away the tears.

"And with that we now can say you have all the pieces of the puzzle. Do you see the picture my friend?" Abraham stood up, cracking his back and rubbing his hands together to warm his digits. He moved behind the vampire to sort through one of the drawers in search of something. Dracula sat up, glaring at the blood stained handkerchief with disgust. How could he be so weak?

"Yes…I see it perfectly how everything fits now." Dracula kept his back turned to Van Helsing, letting all his memories settle into place, seeing the stream of his life and it finally connecting to his vampiric one. Abraham erupted into a fit of coughing, blood coming up with each hack. The doctor's health had slipped away before the vampire. It finally settled, Abraham coming around in front of Dracula, a wooden stake and mallet grasped in the old man's hands. Dracula looked down at the weapons then up into blue eyes. "Come at me friend. Hope we go together into the endlessness of death." There was a smile shared between the two men before their bodies collided as Van Helsing desperately tried to impale Dracula, and Dracula pushing back against Van Helsing. The vampire was not using his abilities; he was trying to use his human strength so he could be defeated. They fell to the floor, Abraham delivering a series of punches to Dracula's face and neck as the vampire landed a punch into Van Helsing's ribs, a sickening crunch ringing out and a grunt of agony from the old man as three ribs broke. He was tossed off into the heavy door, feeling a large bump on the back of his head from the contact. Dracula stood, wiping his hand across his mouth, spitting out blood and his nose bleeding profusely. Dracula pounced on Van Helsing, letting out a savage cry and his fangs ready to drain the life from Abraham. As his fangs came dangerously close Dracula reared his head back and let out an inhuman yell, a single hand clawing at the back of the door as the stake was pushed into his chest. Abraham used the pain to force the vampire back onto the slab bringing down the mallet to hammer the specially crafted and prepared wood deeper and deeper directly into the vampire's heart. Dracula twitched and was frothing at the mouth like a wild and rabid dog as he felt death approaching him. Van Helsing coughed harder since he now had fewer good ribs to support his lungs, a few bone fragment piecing his lung and he slide to the floor, gasping for air as he felt blood fill his throat. The vampire's hand shot out to try and drag Abraham up from the floor so he could be tossed into the wall, Van Helsing's own hand pushing back despite breaking bones and the rising blood choking both men. As Abraham's strength succumbed to death their pushing became more of a handclasp as they both waited together for oblivion to claim them.

Dracula expired first, his body aging to his shriveled state, his hair white, his skin wrinkled and cracked, as tired as the mortal dying beside him. He closed his eyes, letting go as the stake did its work, feeling all the blood in his body boiling and finally he died, his flesh rupturing in a horrific shower of blood and gore. Abraham passed quickly behind the vampire, a smile of relief as he closed his eyes and collapsed to the floor as his soul shed its corporeal form. The room was heavy and thickly coated in blood. As hours passed on there was a small red glow appeared and grew larger and more defined in shape till it was the insignia that had been ingrained into Dracula's hands. The blood and gore joined together with the shadows that lurked in the room, the pieces joining together to create a body once more. The corpse only opened its eyes when the last light of day had ended, its eyes wild and crazed, red as blood. Getting off the slab the new body looked down at the old man laying on the floor coated in blood. Crouching down the freshly born vampire moved his hand over his now deceased master, the blood fleeing the human's flesh. There was blood on Van Helsing's lips, and the new vampire licked up the blood, groaning at how wonderful this blood had tasted. His new hunger demanded to feed from the relatively fresh source before it, but out of respect for this man he would not. Lifting the departed doctor into his arms the vampire used the shadows to take the body upstairs to the family waiting.

The family later found Van Helsing dead in his study, the vampire keeping watch over the corpse like a dog that had lost its master. Red eyes searched through the crowd, Caleb Wingates Hellsing's blue meeting them unflinchingly. Mary wrapped her arms around her only son and pulled him close, trying to drag him from the room. Caleb did not budge, his eyes still locked on the vampire. Caleb walked out of his mother's grasp and toward his grandfather, holding the great doctor's uncrushed hand one more time and kissing his grandfather on the cheek. The vampire watched intently. Caleb turned towards the vampire directly, trying not to shake with fear.

"Give me a name master…" The horse voice spoke out from the vampire, waiting expectantly for the new name, the new life.

"I will call you Alucard."

**Chapter End**


	25. Trăda Mă Bine (Betray Me Well)

Hellsing Headquarters…6 pm.

As Integra closed the book she mauled over the information. Seems that the heartless vampire had not always been so, but with so many events like that it was easy to see why he would lose it. With a gentle motion she closed the journal, setting it down on the desk before her as she stared up at the portrait of Abraham.

"Why did it matter so much to you? Why couldn't you just kill him? From what I've read and experienced…it would have been kinder." Those answers would have to wait; she had put off real work for too long for this endeavor. Pulling her coat back on Integra walked up to her office, the journal in hand. Once she was in her office again she put the journal away with the others in an empty drawer in her desk. With a deep breath she focused herself onto the work in front of her, her pen scratching against the papers with fluid practiced ease. There was a small smirk that tugged at the corners of Integra's lips as she worked through the bullshit of this paperwork. It never ceased to amaze her just how worthless most of it was. Sign here…initial here…date…cross this 't' and dot that 'i'. Wonder if Van Helsing had dealt with this much paperwork? Judging from the copious books and works down in the secret lab, it must have been more. At least that paperwork had been useful; it had actually created something of value. As her papers trickled into the out box Integra felt herself smile. Each finished report was like a small weight off her shoulders. She was too absorbed in her work to recall when her dinner had been brought in, only recalling that she had nibbled off of it during her work. With a final measured flourish she finished the last report, putting it with the others in the outgoing box. She was finally done with the mandatory work, now came social obligations. Most of the invitations were from her 'peers' in hopes she would attend some tea party or other such idiotic activity that she was supposed to enjoy. She looked over the gala invitations though, hesitating to simply decline the invitations. Would it be so bad to go more often? Just to stop the constant looks and suspicion. Giving it a few more minutes of thought she agreed to four of the galas. Pushing the call button on her desk she could hear Walter asking how he could assist her. "I need to speak with my new errand girl." There was a click as the line was connected out onto the main phone lines and the electrical signals racing through wires toward the destination.

"Hello, this is Lina speaking, who is calling?" Lina's voice was polite but it was obvious that she did not want to be on the phone.

"This is Sir Hellsing, I am attending four events and you need to go shopping for dresses and accessory items. I want to have twenty dresses to pick from; all must be evening formal wear, in colors black, blue, green or cream colored. Absolutely no reds. Have the selections ready for me by next Tuesday at the manor. Walter will be sending you my sizes and a credit card to pay for the selections. Can you repeat that back to me Miss Khayam." She was not going to risk this girl messing up such a simple set of orders.

"One second please. I need to write this down…you want twenty dresses, no red, only blacks, blues, greens, and maybe cream shades. You need accessories with the dresses, and all of it by next Tuesday at headquarters, and Walter will be giving me a card and your sizes. Is that all Sir?"

"They all must be evening formal wear Miss Khayam. Do not send me to a gala with a sundress or I will be sending you on a field mission unarmed." Integra waited for confirmation from Lina before hanging up the phone. Penning a response to Matt's letter she informed him of her plans to attend the galas, but did nothing beyond that. He would need to ask to escort her; she did not want to put too much hope in him saying yes.

* * *

Vance Home….9:17 pm

As the click came Lina sighed, looking down at her scrawled note, pinning it up on her push board so she would not forget about it. Lina was still lazing about in her bedroom, not really sleeping, but simply unable to drag herself from her room. Deep down it was because she feared that 'guilty' was written across her forehead. Just like Alucard had carved into that man's flesh. Images of it flashing through her head and she had to physically shake herself to rid herself of the image. She had listened to the boys go about their day after she woke up, not eager to interact. Her curtains were drawn so the darkness of the world outside was not visible. Able to relax slightly in her bright room surrounded by the colorful pieces or art she kept. She had the house to herself, but felt no need to wander; instead she summoned her energy to rise from the bed and go take another shower. She couldn't help it, the warm water helped wash away her discomfort. As she striped down she put her hair up, not needing to wash it again. As she adjusted the water to the right temperature Lina stretched, feeling her muscles and her bones in her skin. Bending further and further back she waited for it…crack. She let out a loud sigh as she felt the snapping and could hear the bones adjusted back into place, her spine tingling from it. She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cascade down and sooth her, feeling it help her body relax. She slowly let her upper body drop down, her arms dangling towards her toes as she stretched. The beauty about taking multiple showers was the fact that she did not need to shave, or wash, or anything else, she could just use this one for the sensation of water on her flesh. Popping her hand out of the shower she turned on her iPod dock so she could listen to music, singing along with songs she liked. When the water started to get cold Lina turned it off, getting out and wrapping a towel around her to dry off as she debated whether or not she should bother putting her bra and panties on or simply curling up in bed naked. A tingling at the back of her neck made her choose the bra and panties, slipping into a pair of simple black panties and strapless black bra. Undoing her bun she let her hair fall around her shoulders, looking over the soft curl of it after being tying up. As a familiar tune started up from her iPod she waited for the vocals to start.

"I don't wanna to talk about the things we've gone through. Though it's hurting me now it's history. I've played all my cards, and that's what you've done too. Nothing more to say, no more ace to play." She hung up her towel and walked into her room. "The winner takes it all, the loser standing small, besides the victory, that's her destiny." Throwing on a small robe she tied it loosely. "I was in your arms, thinking I belonged there, I figured it made sense. Building me a fence, building me a home, thinking I'd be strong there. But I was a fool, playing by the rules." She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug as she leaned against her bed post, a faraway look in her eyes. "The gods may throw a dice. Their minds as cold as ice." Lina used the post to climb up on her bed, belting out her voice in the privacy of her room. "And someone way down here loses someone dear. The winner takes it all! The loser has to fall. It's simple and it's plain. Why should I complain?" Lina let herself fall back into the rumbled bedding, her heart clenching as she thought of why she sang this song so passionately. "But tell me does she kiss, like I used to kiss you? Does it feel the same when she calls your name?" There was a tone of sadness clear cut in her voice as those words left her lips. Lina's mind summoned the mental image of Dracula without her permission. "Somewhere deep inside…you must know I miss you, but what can I say? Rules must be obeyed." Rising up from her bed she crawled off, squaring her shoulders to bring her voice as loud and strong as possible. "The judges will decide. The likes of me abide. Spectators of the show, always staying low! The game is on again, a Lover or a Friend. A big thing or a small, the winner takes it all." She let her body slump as she took a breath, refilling her lungs as her motions moved from the loud hurt to a soft forgiving tone. "I don't wanna talk, if it makes you feel sad, and I understand, you've come to shake my hand. I apologize, if it makes you feel bad, seeing me so tense, no self-confidence. But you see…" Lina climbed back on her bed, taking in the deep breaths to sing these last two lines with heart. "The winner takes it all!" As she drew in for her next breath she was suddenly silenced as a set of firm, slightly chapped lips came crashing down on hers, a tongue thrusting into her mouth and sending Lina into a panic, her eyes shut as she struggled, not even taking time to see who was suddenly tasting her mouth. Her music was turned off, and all she could hear was her own struggles and the soft sounds that drifted up from the streets below. Her window was open! She pushed against whoever was kissing her, wincing as she felt cold hard flesh under soft fabric. The lips and tongue pulled back, Lina falling to her knees on her bed as she caught her breath. When she had gathered enough air and coherence she looked up, fully ready to chew Alucard out for taking such liberties with her. There was no one there. She pulled her short robe around her tighter, wishing that it covered more than the first few inches of her thighs. "Okay…very funny Alucard. You got me. Now where are you?" She tried to ignore the way her lips tingle from the kiss or the way her tongue licked her mouth, trying to taste him. It felt like her blood was heating, and her heart traitorously pumped it through her body and left most of that heat between her thighs. Without warning Lina felt a painful pinch to her rump, the suddenness of the pinch making her yelp out and jump nearly two feet away, her hand rubbing at the offended area. "I already said you got me! And that hurt. You might have left a bruise." She was trying to check on her rump, not noticing as the menacing shadow formed in front of her, a grin full of vicious looking teeth and sinister red eyes leering over her weak position.

"You should be so lucky." He watched as she looked over her shoulder at him slowly, trying to keep her anger but he knew that she was also hoping he would dominate her. She was to 'cute' when she had screamed and jumped. "You are a very bad girl Lina...and bad girls need to be punished. Don't you agree?" He let the words roll lazily from his lips, making sure to emphasize punished. He watched her blush and yet eyes him carefully. He could practically hear the debate in her mind about whether he was going to kill or kiss her. He watched as she gave a tiny shake of her head to his question, his gloved hand reaching out and running down from her shoulder to her wrist. "To bad my dear…" In a flash his hand had grasp her wrist and he had yanked her over his lap as he sat on her bed, her robe riding up her thighs. Lina was completely motionless. To shocked by his speed to properly react to the situation he had put her in. "Count." She looked over her shoulder at him, not quite grasping his meaning. Before Lina could open her mouth to speak she felt his hand come down on her backside hard. She cried out and tried to wriggle off his lap, but his hand on her back kept her firmly in place.

"That hurts! Stop it!" She was given a harder slap directly on top of the stinging flesh, and she knew there was no winning this fight, he would just spank harder if she fought him. With her head down and her cheeks ready to burst into flame she submitted. Lina felt her heart flutter and she just hoped he wouldn't tempt her too far…she did not have the willpower to resist. "One…Sir." She could feel the vibrations of his chest and the slight shifting of his legs as he chuckled at her lack of resistance.

"Sir? I think you can do better than that." Alucard brought his hand down again, leaving her some modesty with her panties and robe. He watched her yelp in pain and wriggle, enjoying this.

"Two…Master?" He was spanking her much too hard, her flesh stinging even under the protection of her panties and robe. She hoped he liked that title, she really couldn't think of much more. She let out a cry of pain as he spanked her again. "Three…Count?" Lina was holding back tears as he came down even harder, her urge to resist bubbling up with the pain and she started to wriggle harder, trying to rolled off his lap, he pushed his hand harder onto her back to keep her pinned. Her body was tensed, prepared for the next blow. "Four…King." That had to be what he was after. She honestly couldn't think of his higher titles if he had any. There was a pause, and she let out a sigh of relief as no slap came. There was a small swishing sound before his hand contacted her rump again, and she screamed from how hard he smacked her, whimpering as it stung. "Five…and I don't know…I just don't know. What do you want me to say?" He chuckled darkly at her, his free hand wandering down her legs, easily grasping her ankle with his long reach. She wanted him to take his gloves off, but she really didn't at the same time. Lina went still with fear as he encased her throat with his hand that had been pinning her back, lifting her head up closer to his, but still not letting her see his face. She had to prop herself up with her hands on his legs to keep herself from being strangled. His lips brushed against her ear, his cold breath caressing the sensitive flesh and she bit her lip to hold in a feline like mewl of delight.

"Say my name." He practically growled against her ear, his tongue flicking out to prod at her neck, enjoying the way she gasped and shivered, and how he could smell her arousal. He let his hand slowly roam up from her ankle to her calf, moving his hand up with purpose on the inside of her leg. "Say it."

"Alucard?" Lina spoke timidly, his hand on her throat and his wandering hand making her obedient. His strong hand stroked back and forth on her upper calf, not yet moving higher on her legs.

"Good girl." He stood up and tossed her onto the bed, looking at her as she tried to gain composure. He finally let her get a good look at him, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it over her desk chair. He kicked off his riding boots, lounging in her chair as he looked her over with a self satisfied look. "Feeling better about your first time?" He drawled out, licking his lips. Alucard enjoyed watching her struggle to not blush and seeing her fail.

"No…I am not feeling better, that really hurt Alucard...I'm not into pain." She looked away from him, wrapping her hands around her middle and her body slumped with depression. "I feel the same as earlier I guess, I don't regret it but...I'm scared." He reached with his shadow to gently wrap around her ankle and squeeze it reassuringly. "You are so lucky that no one else is home. Otherwise I'd have to move in with you. Matt says if he even sees you around here he'll kick me out." She wanted to change the subject away from the murder. Unfortunately for her he was not going to let her shift it so easily.

"So are you saying you'll give up on justice out of fear? That you are too scared to finish what you started?" There was an anger in his voice that would normally have made her cringe, but she couldn't stand his words. Standing up from her bed she marched over to him, standing at the end of his long legs and glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"No. And don't you dare put words in my mouth. I said I am scared, not that I'm giving up. Fear is normal, fear is healthy, it's what helped humans survive this long. You were scared once upon a time too. So just..be here for me so I'm not alone. I'll get over it...just...it just takes time." The last statement of her was through tears glistening in her eyes and a few streaking down her face. He watched her through a carefully guarded look, rolling her words over in his mind. "I refuse to be bullied into being someone else or feeling something else. I am me. For better or worse. I am a weak human with human emotions and I simply cannot push them away and lose myself. Just give me time to adjust. I promise you, I'm tired of me being worthless too." Lina sagged against her bed as she let go of her pent up emotion, wiping her eyes and looking away from him. "You should leave n-" She never finished that statement as his lips were on hers again, this time much gentler. Alucard's tongue darted out to taste her lips his hands on either side of her and Lina didn't fight, her lips pushing back.

"Stop saying you're worthless or I will swallow that tongue of yours so you can never speak ill of yourself again." He never pulled his lips away from hers, hers feeling his brush against them as he spoke and she mouthed a yes but didn't speak. Satisfied with her answer he let a hand slip to the tie of her robe, undoing it and letting his hand slip inside to run alone her side, resting against her hip and squeezing firmly, possessively. "What did you do with all that extra energy I gave you?" Lina had to actually focus on what he said as his hand on her was very distracting; taking a few moments to actually think of what he was talking about.

"I don't know…probably used all of it to take him there. I doubt I have any left. I'm not exactly sure how to use that much energy. I do not have that much ever...naturally. Plus I do not want to make a habit out of your energy. Last thing I need is other witches avoiding me for becoming strigoi viu." She pulled away from his lips so she could take in a proper breath, shivering as his gloved hand moved to her waist. "Why do you want to know?"

"I find it disgustingly funny. My mortal girlfriend has used vampiric energy more than my fledgling of two years." Alucard pushes his knee between her thighs, pressing up to rub his thigh against her panties, her robe parted and giving him a view of her flesh.

"I don't have energy, I have you. You are a much more convenient place to store energy than my purse is." She teased him, keeping her thighs closed tight even as his knee pressed. "Besides…I'm sure Seras could use those abilities if you just taught her better." His knee pulled back and he loomed over her.

"Are you saying I am not a good teacher? That I don't know how to handle my fledgling?" The way he said it was like he was daring her to insult him.

"Maybe you are not a good teacher for her. Maybe she needs someone less…evil to show her how to be a vampire." Good lord why was she taking the bait. The minute she said that she regretted it, he was going to spank her again.

"You think you could do any better." Alucard's tone was even, but the danger was tangible. Why did fearing for her life turn her on around him? There is bound to be some type of issue not being addressed here.

"Kind of." What the fuck did she just say? Had those two words just come flying out of her mouth? He was going to snap her neck. Lina was honestly surprised that she was not sweating with fear. Of course she did lose some of her color at the realization.

"Bet. On. It." The way he said those words made the bottom of her stomach drop out. Lina gulped and looked into his all too powerfully consuming eyes.

"What are the terms and the wager?" Lina was horrified by her response. What was she saying! She knew she couldn't win this bet. She was a good as dead now. Any minute now he would strangle her or rip her head off and drink her like shot of whiskey.

"If you can teach Police Girl just one vampiric ability at a proficient level, you win. If you fail, I win. As for wager…" He looked down over her exposed flesh, his thumb brushing along the rim of her bra, making her breath hitch. "If you fail you have to shower with Police girl for my amusement…" Alucard pushed her robe down her arms, watching her cheeks flush as red as his coat. "While I watch." Somehow this suggestion shocked her, yet Lina really should have expected him to suggest something she wouldn't agree to. Too bad he didn't really know that much about her.

"Then if I win you have to get me an A in my math class." Reaching up Lina started to undo his Cravat, pulling him closer to her, licking the shell of his ear. "Agree?" Alucard smirked at her actions, enjoying her teasing.

"Agreed." He let her undo his cravat, feeling her pull it from him and her warm fingers caressed his scalp as she played with the back of his hair. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she pulled him down on top of her, and he looked down in surprise at her bold move.

"For the record Alucard, I've made out with girls before." She kissed him, her tongue pushing into his mouth as she avoided his sharp fangs. He growled and kissed her back, his hands gripping her waist tighter and she was sure there would be finger shaped bruises.

* * *

Transylvania 1455

Setareh lead her mare gently behind Vlads' stallion, smiling up at the sun and listening to the wild birds tweeting sweetly for each other. This was a perfect day. She had to tell him. Otherwise she may never get a chance to. Setareh had full faith that her husband would be given his chance to prove himself, she prayed for his happiness. It would have him being away at war for a long period of time, but she was ready to shoulder the waiting with grace and honor. She would wait for him years if it came to that, no matter what he would not betray her unless the angel of death dragged him away, maybe not even then. But he had a right to know that his fight was no longer just for his own pride and honor. Lost in her current train of thought she was surprised when Vlads' hand came to rest on her own, gently leading her to turn the reins to follow him deeper into the forest. She looked up at his face, giving him a bright smile before giggling at her own absent mindedness.

"What has you so lost in thought my dear?" Setareh looked over his face, trying to read the lines to see what he was thinking. He had not been himself this day. It must be bad news. Her heart sunk for him, she wanted him to succeed. She knew he could if those silly old men would just let him. He was brilliant. It was not the first time she cursed her inability to speak his native tongue. If she could maybe she could plead with those men to give her love the chance to prove himself, so he could create his own Jerusalem. She studied dutifully, but she simply could not master the translations, she did not have his gift for speech. She hid her thoughts and emotions, stroking the mane of the mare she rode.

"I am just thinking of writing my family. They may be mad that I ran off, but I do not like the idea of their hearts breaking because they do not know what happened to me. Do you think it would be a good idea love?" His face became even darker at her words, a warning sounded out weakly in the back of her mind that she was the cause of his current sourness. Her heart clenched with fear and she had to push that silly notion away. "Of course if you do not want me to I will not." He was no longer listening to her, letting his horse move them and his eyes staring straight ahead. She has upset him, in shame she looked down into her hands, his hand still holding onto her rein so her horse would not wander off. They were silent till he made a series of clicking sounds; bring his war horse to a stop, her obedient mount stopping as well. He dismounted smoothly, trying both their reins to a branch before moving around the small glade, checking that no one was around. Setareh did not wait, dismounting carefully from the mare as she set up the blanket in a shady spot, patting to make sure that the ground beneath was not wet. She went about setting up their lunch, pulling out the wine sack she had asked the kitchen maids for. In the privacy of the glen she let her hair down, running her fingers through it and removing her shoes, enjoying the grass beneath her feet. "Shall I make you a sandwich?" She asked sweetly, humming in delight. Vlad came to sit beside her, his long sword resting on the blanket, his short blade still tucked into his side. He was a good husband. He protected her, honored their vows, and loved her. What more could she ask for in a man? He picked up the wine skin, smirking at her before taking a swig from it, letting the red wine stain his lips. Finally he was coming from his darkness. As his wife she took pride in remembering his favorites. He laid his head in her lap, playing with stray stands of her hair as it blew about in the breeze.

"Make it and then feed me." She rolled her eyes at him playfully at his tone, knowing he was jesting with her. She made him his food, holding it out to him as she nibbled on her own food. She refused the wine as he held it out to her. She knew from the many women in her family that she should not drink while with child. As she thought of it her hand went to rest tenderly on her belly. It had been three months since her monthly bleed, but she had yet to really show much of a bump. She had told not a soul about her precious gift. They had not discussed the idea of children, but it was bound to happen with the way they loved each other. She was going to tell him, but she wanted to see if maybe he could guess it first. He was slightly oblivious to the signs, but he was busy with so much else she could not blame him. All that mattered to her was a healthy child, but for Vlad she knew it would be important for him to have a son, an heir. A dreamy smile crossed her lips as she painted a picture in her mind of a happy bouncing baby boy nursing from her as she sang it to sleep, and of that same child learning swords from Vlad. His son would sit proudly beside him and be taught the art of war, and she could teach their son all the wonderful history and art from her own bloodline. Even if it was a girl it would be a blessing, but as the picture solidified in her mind she suddenly hoped for a boy. So lost was she in her day dream that she never noticed as Vlad began to lick at her fingers, only being drawn from her fantasy by his playful nibbling, his sharp teeth making her jolt and laugh at herself. "My wife is so lost in thought she neglects me. What are you thinking of with such a happy smile on your face? I wish to share in that carefree moment with you." He spoke huskily against her neck, making her moan and shiver.

"It is a secret Love." She used what little stealth she had to pull away from him and stand upon her feet. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, not getting up from his relaxed position. She picked up her skirts in her hands, smiling like they were children again playing in the palace. "I will only tell you if you can catch me." She darted off into the woods, knowing Vlad would come after her. He could not resist such a silly challenge. He was a good enough hunter that she knew he would find her even if she got lost. She laughed merrily as she darted around trees and changed directions often, set on finding a hiding place to wait for him.

* * *

"Mary Our Mother" Orphanage…11:32 p.m.

Sean was kneeling before the cross, his head bowed as he prayed. He held his crucifix tightly as he prayed, his knees protesting at the cold floor that gave no cushion. The pain was his way to drown out his demon, literally. It would be so busy with the pain that it did not speak to him. Sean repeated each and every single word from his readings over and over again, carving them into his mind to learn their lessons thoroughly. There was only a few candles left lit in the chapel, but Sean would stay here as long as it took. Soft footfalls announced the presence of his mentor and teacher, Father Anderson. The elder priest sat down in the pew next to him, opening a bible and scanning through it before finding the sections he had assigned Sean to read, beginning them aloud. Sean followed along vocally, both of their voices drifting softly through the chapel, the figure of Christ staring down at them with compassion from the agonizing place of honor on the cross. As the two finished the verses Anderson put his hand on Sean's shoulder.

"Come Lad, get yer rest. Ay'll be needing yer help wit the children in da morning." The older man pulled Sean up by his shoulder. Sean nodded, putting the crucifix around his neck again, following Anderson back out of the chapel after they exterminated the candles. As they walked in darkness back to their rooms Sean looked out at the fog gathering outside the window, able to sense the moon hanging in the sky above, and his body aching to run to it. Why did such a cold celestial object hold so much power over him? The moon was a lifeless piece of rock floating in space, yet it made his animalistic heart swell with joy and love, like it was a lover and a mother at once. Such a thought made Sean shake his head with disgust. There was only a heavenly Father; the beauty of the moon was a trick of the devil. Even as the thought crossed his mind his heart pushed the thought away. "Say yer prayers ta keep yer soul." Anderson's voice reminded him softly. It was if the man could read his struggle on his face.

"I will Father. Thank you for your patience with me. If not for you compassion I would be dead." Sean crossed his heart and recited the Lord's Prayer, coming to his room and giving a nod to Father Anderson before coming into his room and closing the door. Sean removed his clothes and changed into a set of simple pj's resting on the twin sized bed and pulling the covers over him. As Sean closed his eyes he let his hand reach up to the burn of his forehead, assuring to himself that the werewolf inside would not have free reign over his soul before letting the darkness of sleep come and ease his troubled mind.

In the other room Anderson was still moving about, his tongue darting out to lick his lips as he looked over his vampire hunting equipment. Each piece he had specially prepared for the madman of England, the red devil. His gloved fingers caressed the handles of the blessed bayonets. With God as his witness he would end that vampire's unlife and send the monster straight into depths of hell where he belonged. A small hint of sadness accompanied this thought. After Anderson killed his enemy Alucard, who else would he hunt? No other vampire would ever be as difficult to defeat, would require so much planning and preparation. It would be a sad day for the paladin, but a day that the church awaited eagerly. If it was what the Church and Dogma prescribed, he would follow those orders well and good. Picking up one of the bayonets Anderson enjoyed the weight of righteousness in his hand, the sharp edge of unyielding Christian truth.

"Farewell ye Monster." A wide grin flashed over the priest's face as the crazy look of bloodlust came over his eyes, the blade glinting off moonlight coldly in the dark room.

* * *

Hellsing Manor…November 16, Friday…3 pm

Lina was proud of herself for having completed her shopping for Sir Integra earlier than requested, setting out selections she had as she waited for Integra to come and look over her finds. Lina looked over some of the jewelry longingly. Lina had good real pieces of jewelry, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, etc; but some of these high name brand designer creations had her drooling at their quality and sheer artistry. But there was no way she would fork out fifty grand for a piece of jewelry. Maybe if she won the lottery then she could justify such a splurge, but even then she had a long list of actual real goals she would have to use that money for first. Namely giving her family enough money so all five of her little cousins could go to college without worrying, then paying off any debt the older members of her family had, then paying for her own college, setting up retirement funds for her grandparents and parents, then setting up her own retirement account. If she still had a lot left she would have to split sixty percent of it and give it to a charity so she wouldn't feel completely selfish, if it was a small amount she would give all of it to charity. But what charity should she give it to? Should she divide it up between a couple charities? Or maybe just give a lump sum to one so she could fund that cause better? If she gives a lump sum what kind of charity should it go to? A charity for the homeless? No, maybe a disease charity? Cancer sounds good. But there are so many different types to choose from. Or an animal charity to save an endangered species? Tigers or manta rays? Whales would be a great choice too. Then again she should help her fellow humans first, at least children. Feeding needy children is always a great cause, or shelters for abused wives. Linas' thoughts drifted to Samantha. A charity to help stop human trafficking! Perfect.

"Now I just need to win the lottery." Lina said with finality, her imaginary finances firmly set in place. She was setting out a heavy diamond necklace absentmindedly as she said it.

"I'm sure the fashion industry can't wait for you to win it either." Sir Integra snapped at Lina, marching into the room with tense shoulders. Lina opened her mouth to defend herself but decided to let it go. Never a smart idea to pick a fight with someone that can fire you. "I hope you have some smaller, tasteful pieces." Integra scoffed, looking around at her selection of dresses without really looking at them.

"Yes, there are smaller pieces. I just wanted to give you a big selection Sir Hellsing." Lina was trying her best to not let Integra's sour mood rub off on her. Plastering a happy smile on her face Lina focused on twenty second breaths, it helping keep her easily riled emotions at bay.

"Had a hay day with my credit card I see. Great to know I gave a shopaholic label whore access to my personal funds." Integra was not pulling any punches with her verbal abuse. Integra's temples were throbbing and her blood pressure was on the rise. It was never a good day for anyone on the Headquarter grounds when a mission went wrong. Of course the fact Lina was the third person Integra had encountered today after the failure had been reported was not tilting the scales in the girl's favor. Behind Integra's back Lina was fighting the urge to flip her boss the bird for being in such a bad mood. Lina knew she could get just as emotionally unreasonable, but that didn't mean she could take what she dished out gracefully all the time.

"None of these items are purchased yet. I talked to the store owners so these pieces are basically out on a private showcase for you. Apparently a lot of the other ton girls get these kinds of privileges too." Lina was straining to keep her tone polite and cheerful. She would not lose her cool.

"Well at least I can be thankful you haven't raped my pocketbook…yet." That biting 'yet' was pushing Lina dangerously close to making an ass out of herself. No, she had to resist the temptation. Lina had to remind herself that Integra was not always this bitchy, there were times she was pleasant.

"Is something bothering you today Sir? Cause if it is maybe you should hold off on trying stuff on in a bad mood." Lina hoped to god Sir Integra didn't shoot her for the attitude. Lina deserved a brownie point for holding it in this long. Integra turned on her heels and shot Lina a withering look.

"Is something bothering me? You want to know if something is 'bothering' me?" Lina stood her ground as Integra stalked closer. "How about the fact that a vampire who slaughtered 31 people, two of which were my men escaped last night and I have no leads as to where this bastard is hiding! Yes! That fact bloody bothers me you American twit! How dare you talk like that to me! You have no idea the amount of stress I am under on a daily basis! The lives of my men and of innocent civilians rest on my shoulders every single minute of every single day! So yes I am a wee bit stressed you bloody idiot!" Integra paused for a breath, fully planning on continuing her tired when Lina did something so shocking it put Integra at a loss for words. Lina was hugging her, tightly. As the shock and horror of the situation registered in Sir Hellsing's mind she roughly shoved Lina off her, her hand moving to slap the insolent chit for being so bold. Lina stepped back out of range, her hands up defensively, ready to block an incoming blow. "What in God's name do you think you were doing when you hugged me!"

"I was trying to make you feel better! Hugging usually helps make people feel better! I don't want you to be upset! Sorry for trying to show some fucking compassion. Jeez! You act like I pulled your pants down or something!" Before Lina could help it a sudden rush of emotions that belonged to one of her other lives came upon her, tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to maintain her composure around her boss. But it was a wave of sadness she could not hold back, her voice cracking and tears running down her cheeks."I don't want you to be upset. I like you. You and Seras are the closest things I have to girlfriends here. I just want everyone to be happy. I know it's not possible to be happy all the time but I can't stand someone being sad." To Integra's dismay Lina started to break down, sliding to her knees and her entire body being rocked by sobs as tears started pouring. The site of a girl Linas' age crying like an eight year old left Integra at a loss. Her anger draining as she just looked down at the pathetic sight of a girl sobbing hysterically on the floor over another person being upset. Taking a deep breath Integra stepped away from Lina, rubbing her temples to ease the tension.

"What are you crying for you git? If you want to cry go cry over the dead." Integra had lost her anger, unable to justify any more fury at the miserable mess still crying. "For god's sake pull yourself together." Integra moved over to Lina who had since collapsed onto the floor, her head buried in her arms as her body seems to contort with her sobs. Standing over her employee for a few minutes Integra felt a growing sense of sympathy settle in. The girl was a bit dense, but she had meant well. Gently she prodded Lina with her shoe, the wailing having finally calmed to what Integra could only call a whimper. There was no response from the girl. "Stop this behavior at once. There is no reason for you to be this upset." Lina slowly sat up at Integra's tone wiping tears from her face and struggling to breath from how hard she had been sobbing.

"Sorry…I just couldn't keep it in…it was too much sadness. And I'm sorry about the loss of your troops. It must be so hard for you and you never hear thank you…You are such a strong amazing woman…" Lina was overcome with more foreign emotions, crying once more despite her efforts to stop. This was wrong! Why couldn't she stop crying? These words weren't false, but she would not really say them under her own emotions unless she was having a 'friend' moment, and this was definitely not one. There was a sudden sharp pain in Linas' chest, her hand shooting up to clutch at her heart as she doubled over in pain, a hacking cough wracking her body. Integra realized that there was something wrong here, it being confirmed when blood started to splatter onto the marble floor as Lina continued to cough, it quickly turning into choking on the blood.

"Walter! Walter! Get the medical staff in here asap! She's choking on blood!" Her voice was loud and authoritative, but never did panic or worry set in.

* * *

Transylvania 1455

The sun was low in the sky, it starting to turn orange and the clouds gathered on the horizon were a dark, ominous grey. Setareh shivered in her hiding place at the base of a tree, shifting herself so she was in the lasting rays of the sun. It was getting dark, the once friendly woods dark and full of shadows. She was no longer hiding, simply staying in one place so Vlad could eventually find her. She hoped he did. She wiped the tears from her eyes. Off in the gathering gloom a wolf howled out, the melancholy sound making her whimper. The darkness had never frightened her that much before, but as the light became less and less Setareh knew it would never be a welcome sight again. Earlier she had tried to find her way to camp after what had felt like an eternity, but quickly found that she was indeed lost beyond her ability to navigate. She knew better than to try and find someone to help her, first there would be no guarantee that those people would not be men that would hurt her or witches that would curse her unborn babe or other terrible types of people. Even if they were kind and helpful, she would not be able to communicate with them. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as her heart sank. Where could he be? There was no way it would take this long to find her. Had something happened to him! What if after she left he had been ambushed and hurt? Or worse he could be dying somewhere and she was not there to help him. That thought made her start to sob. She was such an idiot! She should have just stayed with him and told him the good news, not come running out into the woods like a reckless child! She was a woman now and her shortsightedness had possibly doomed her and her baby. Her arms wrapped around her body protectively. No. She would live for the sake of this child and she had faith Vlad would find her. He would no doubt mount a search for her if he failed to find her on his own. The sky was turning orange and blood red, barely any blue from the day left and the brightest of the stars coming out. A terrifying thought struck her. Maybe Vlad had brought her out here to abandon her! Oh god! He had left her here to die!

"No!" She shot up to her feet, pacing in the last patch of sunlight. "He would not do that to me! He loves me! He promised he would take care of me for the rest of our lives! He could not have just left me here. He could not have just left me here alone. After everything I have done for him, all I have risked, all I have sacrificed, he is not this cruel. He cannot be. He just cannot be." She was fighting from breaking down and crying. Hope, she must keep hope. Without it she would fall into despair. "I must not think like this. If he were to hear me say such things he would be cross with me." Resting down against the trunk she curled her legs in tight, pulling her feet under her dress and tucking them in the fabric to keep them from becoming chilled. She could see the sun beginning to rest on the tops of the mountains in the distance, tears welling up in her eyes. She would be out here all night. "Oh Vlad….I need you…" A twig snapped behind her, body springing up so she could turn to face the noise. Her heart swelled with relief and she smiled as she found Vlad standing there, all her emotions letting loose. She made to go to him, intending to cling to him until she was satisfied that he was truly there and cry her heart out. The cold look in his eyes made her steps halt. Slowly he walked towards her, not speaking a word to her. Setareh stood still, waiting for him to break the silence as her tears cascaded down her face. Vlad stood before her, looking down at her, his lips drawn into a thin line. "Vlad…" She wrapped her arms around his chest, expecting him to return her embrace. He did not move, remaining stiff as his blade. In desperation she hugged him tighter, trying to draw out his response. There was a sudden horrific blinding agony in her body. A dagger was buried so deep into her back that it passed directly through her heart and the very tip was exposed from the flesh of her bosom. Her heart thrashing frantically as blood filled her punctured lung and she began to cough and choke on the blood. Blood came from her lips, droplets raining down from her lips, some crimson jewels landing on his cheek. She tried to smile for him, hoping this was some delusion of the darkness but when he cruelly yanked the dagger out of her back, shredding her flesh and tissues the reality set it, tears staining her face as she contorted in suffering. It was unbearable, the ache so brutal that she collapsed to the forest floor without the blade holding her up. Setareh could feel every drop of blood leave her through the vicious wound, her eyes looking straight head as she felt her life draining. The sky was a blood red, the sun setting further as dark shadows swallowed her flesh, cold and pain setting in. She could no longer breathe, her body no longer working even as her mind hysterically raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. Her eyes were opened and she could only see Vlad's form as he walked away from her, leaving her there in the woods.  _'He is leaving me here to die.'_  She watched him disappear, her flesh unable to respond to call out for him to return to her. Darkness filled her eyes and there was nothing.

"…" There was silence, but that silence spoke volumes to the poor princess laying there on the cold forest floor in the darkness. Setareh stood slowly from the floor, looking around her in surprise as she could see in the darkness. Her eyes caught sight of a shadow watching her from a few feet away. "…" Still there was no sound but she felt as if she understood the shadow watching her. She slowly moved forward towards it, her heart lifting and her sorrows draining from her.

"Are you Malak al-Maut?" She asked respectfully, feeling no fear from this specter, feeling it drawing her near for something beautiful. That's right; this messenger of Allah would escort her from the world of the living to paradise. The land of milk and honey was being offered to her. A smile crossed her lips at this unimaginable honor.

"…" She smiled brighter, her heart knowing the answer. A magnificent hand was outstretched towards her, its beauty too much for her and she turned to look away, feeling that her lowly mortal hand should not touch this heavenly being. "…" The figure was no longer darkness but a color so stunning she could not describe it.

"I do not feel worthy of taking your hand. How can a lowly one like me deserve to touch it?" Why was she seeing this heavenly servant? She could feel her memories drifting away, starting from her early childhood.

"…" She understood. They were all equal in the eyes of Allah. Her hand reached out timidly as she continued to come closer. She wished to look back, to give a last goodbye to the world she had loved. "…"

"What do you mean do not look back? I do not wish to forget my childhood. How will I recognize my family in paradise if I forget?" She stopped her approach, putting her hand down. How could paradise not include those that loved her and that she loved in return? She turned back towards where she had come, an unspeakable sight meeting her. Setareh could see her own deceased body and how it was decaying. It must have been two weeks since the animals had already begun to devour her flesh, seeing into her own lifeless orbs and watching the insects picking the flesh from her. Setareh screamed at the sight and turned away from it, sobbing as her hands came to rest on her abdomen. If she was dead then that means so was her child. She sobbed harder, her form wracked with her wailing. "My child! Please Angel! What has become of my child!"

"You were warned about looking back Setareh. Since you never gave birth to the child, the soul that would have filled the flesh has been sent back to its origin. You no longer have a child. Now come so you may forget the rest of this affair." The angel finally spoke to her, its voice filling the space but was neither scolding nor approving. She came to the angel's feet, bending low and pleading.

"Please no angel. If I am to be a spirit at least let me have my child. I do not want to go alone to the oasis." She looked up imploringly to Malak al-Maut.

"It is not in my power to give you such." Setareh broke into another fit of sorrow, tiny cracks forming in her soul. The angel knew what was coming. She did not remember how she came to be the decaying corpse.

"Then let me at least see my husband before we depart. Please, I need this one grace and I promise I shall come." The angel gave a heaven ward glance before nodding softly, taking her gently by the hand as it lead her towards the place she requested to be taken. It seemed like forever and yet like the blink of an eye when they reached the room she had shared with Vlad and their marital bed. The room was empty, but she could faintly hear sounds from somewhere else in the keep, unable to hear it clearly through the veil of death. She was about to ask her companion why they were here when the door was pushed open, what sounded like hearty laughter slowly permeated the vast distance from the world of life and death. "Why is Vlad laughing? Does he not know I am…here?" She looked towards Malak al-Maut, hoping for some explanation. The angel's eyes stayed facing the broad back of the man she had requested to see. Setareh returned her attention there as well. If she were alive she would have died all over again as she saw her husband. Her beloved Vlad, holding another woman in his arms, giving that woman the same smile he had given her. The woman was in a wedding dress. The memory of her death flashed through her like lightning striking the earth, a scream ripped from her as she realized with revulsion what she was witnessing. Each strike of lightning pushed the splinters further and further through her form, tiny shards chipping off and falling to the floor below. She looked at the woman, pure hatred boiling inside her. She knew this woman, Elisabeta! With a heart of stone she watched as Vlad completed his marriage to another woman on the heels of her death. This insult would not be bared! She let out a roar of fury she had never felt before. Every ounce of love that once had been a cherished source of comfort in her heart twisted and writhed into a equally powerful, if not more potent hatred of him. Everything! He had taken everything from her! He'd taken her child, her life, had put her through so much for his own benefit and gain and this was her reward! She would never forgive him! She would never forgive this sin! As she screamed with the agony of his betrayal those fissures spread and she felt herself shatter like a glass figurine that had been carelessly discarded.

With her last moments of existence, she cursed him.

For destroying her humble happiness, may he  **never**  achieve  _his_  dreams.

**Chapter End**


	26. Words

Hellsing Manor…November 16, Friday…9 pm

"She has a bacterial infection causing acute bronchitis, that seemed to act up due to the strain of her crying. She will be fine, just needs to take a course of antibiotics and wait to get better. She coughed up more blood than she should have, but after we gave her a saline solution via the IV the coughing returned to mostly mucus, so we presume she was dehydrated. Good thing it was caught before the bacteria did much more damage. She should be up on her feet in a few minutes; the painkillers we gave her to put in the IV will handle the majority of her discomfort. It would be best for her to avoid under cooked meats and anything to acidic till it's all cleared up." The doctor tried not to shake as he discussed Miss Khayam's condition with Sir Hellsing as the two men glared at each other, each with a hand on a weapon. Integra dismissed the doctor, who retreated to his office, the nurses all hiding in there with him from the visitors. Integra was doing her best to not have a fit as the two versions of Alucard stood in the hospital wing. She had called Alucard to escort Lina home, being taken fully by surprise when both Alucard and Dracula had come. Integra had never seen what Dracula had looked like, but she could not hide her curiosity. She had a face to put to the man in the journals. This fit much more than her attempts to put Alucard into the story. The grandiose looking man before her had the age on his face, the wild look about his features that was tamed down to display a rugged, brutal sense of justice. Alucard always looked much more carefree and relaxed, but Dracula had the weight of wars, politics, and religious duty on his shoulders. Integra had always held respect for Abraham, but now she could see why Abraham could not just destroy this man, Dracula commanded respect with the weight of his burdens, and facing this man in battle would sweep the bravery out from the feet of even the most loyal soldier.

Lina was dressing behind a curtain, having been given a dose of painkillers, making her slightly less inhibited. She whimpered as she put her clothes on with one hand, the bandage on her hand not easing the ache from having an IV in it. Finishing with her clothes she started humming only to stop at the pain, opening the curtain to look at the group of people standing there. She looked over at Alucard and Dracula, her eyes focusing on them and slowly her lips curling up into a smile; bursting into giggles the longer they made eye contact with her.

"Five hundred years and you still wear the same outfit." All three of them looked at her like she was a losing her mind. She stopped quickly as her throat was aggravated by her mirth. Integra looked at both men again and as she looked them over she felt herself smirk.

"What are you talking about you idiot?" Alucard spat out at her, already annoyed that his other self was out again and at having to pick Lina up because she was obviously in no condition to drive home alone.

"Red hat, red coat, and boots." She was snickering, the two of them looking each other over and sharing a moment of mutual displeasure at the point she brought up. She wandered over, looking up at them both then looking down at her fingers. "Oh…! Sir Integra…do you still need help with those dresses?"

"I handled it myself, and the extras were taken back while you were being examined. You did very well Miss Khayam. But if you ever get into a verbal argument with me again there will be consequences." Lina nodded, Alucard grasping her by the shoulder as he nodded to his former master, Dracula giving a more formal goodbye and following the departing pair. Was they were out of ear shot Integra groaned, sitting down in a nearby chair and rubbing her temples as she processed the information of there being a second vampire king potentially going on a rampage through the country. "Someone fetch me something for this migraine."

* * *

Driving back into London…

Alucard sat in the driver's seat, Lina curled up in the back seat snuggling up in Dracula's cloak as Dracula sat in the front passenger seat. There was an uneasy silence between the two men as Lina mumbled nonsensically in the back of her car.

"Technically you are copying me." Dracula said at last, looking out at the road with a bored expression. Alucard growled at the jab, pressing down on the gas pedal even more, the car zipping through the English countryside at an excess of one hundred and fifty miles an hour. He was easily able to keep control of the car and see where he was going, the car engine protesting slightly at first but by using his shadows he quieted the engine.

"Shut up. I am you; I have no need to change my wardrobe if it looks good." Alucard hit a sharp turn, the tires losing friction with the pavement below but his shadows once more correcting the physical limitations of the vehicle. The sudden jerking motion of the car would have sent Lina's prone form slamming into the back of their seats at a dangerous speed had Dracula not reached back and easily held her in place.

"It may look good on you, but I look best in it." Dracula quipped back, letting his hand linger on the girls sleeping form. The painkillers they had put her on were too strong in his opinion, but it would only be a few days of her being sick.

"I think you both look better naked…" Both looked back at Lina as she sleepily interjected into the conversation, shifting her position to try and fit better in the confined space. "…naked…and covered in olive oil…" Lina drifted off, the rest of her thought left dangling unsaid, leaving a new wave of awkward in the air. A perverted grin covered Lina's face, not that either vampire could see it while her back was turned.

"I hope she is talking about cooking us." Alucard growled out, Dracula's lip twitching as he tried not to speculate where else the girls' thoughts were going.

"…I love Greek wrestling…" Once more her voice chimed in, the perverted joy in her voice settling over the interior of the car like a blanket. Both men glanced at each other, shivering as the image invaded their minds unwillingly. Dracula withdrew his hand from her, Alucard speeding up even more, eager to drop her off now before she spoke of anything else. Unfortunately when they reached the city limits he had to slow down, unlike his motorcycle the car could not weave between the other vehicles on the road. The time had passed in silence, thankfully for the two men since Lina's last unsettling comment had yet to lift. Alucard groaned in frustration as he waited behind the line for the light to change. "Count…what day is today?" Alucard looked back at her. There was no way the painkiller was strong enough to make her forget the day of the week, and why would she ask Dracula instead of him. Dracula looked off at the stars behind the clouds in the sky.

"It would be the anniversary." This answer seemed to satisfy Lina, who pulled herself up into a sitting position and putting on her seat belt, wrapping the cloak around her like a blanket. Alucard was getting fed up with their secret code. Lina was feeling better, the painkiller no longer clouding her mind and making her tired or incoherent.

"No wonder I got so emotional." Lina watched the city lights as Alucard drove. "Alucard…can I stay with you tonight?" She asked meekly, looking at both men from her seat. Alucard felt a stab of anger and jealousy.

"Why? So you can fuck him." Dracula turned to his younger self with fury in his eyes. Lina placed her hands on both of their shoulders to calm them down. She did not want to explain to Integra about damaging a company car because her boyfriend couldn't stand himself.

"No…so I can try to settle this whole affair. I really don't feel like being hit with mysteriously appearing ailments every anniversary of something that happened to another woman five hundred years ago. Besides…you'll finally get to know what we are talking about." Lina's offer did little to incite the angry vampire king, but he still found himself turning in the direction of his own home. He could feel Lina smiling behind him, her hand not leaving either of their shoulders. She placed a light kiss on his cheek, and he fought to keep from grinning as she did not give the same treatment to his counterpart. "Alucard…by the way…where can we talk at your place? It's pretty cold outside."

"I don't care if you get frostbitten; we'll talk wherever the hell I decide." Lina moved closer to Dracula at the calloused statement. She would play them against each other if it was the only way to get treated like a human being that was not on the dinner menu. So she was being a bit manipulative, he was a vampire, she had to have a few bad habits up her sleeves to handle being with him.

"Never mind, take me home then. Sleeping in my warm soft bed is much more important, and Dracula and I will settle this problem while you sleep tomorrow." Both men knew exactly what game she was playing at. A smirk playing on Dracula's lips as he decided to play along, he reached back, caressing Lina's neck, making her moan and sigh as he stroked her just right, watching Alucard glare with displeasure.

"I am sure we could settle this matter alone Lina. No need to put this hunting dog on the spot to provide reasonable accommodations for you." Alucard watched the display with mounting rage. These two were going to drive him insane. He parked out in front of Carfax, opening the door and swinging Lina over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. Dracula followed quickly, Lina wriggling to try and get off Alucard. "There is no need to treat her so harshly. Does not do you any good to harm her to spite me, I cannot feel her pain." Dracula watched as Alucard dropped her roughly on top of their coffin. Lina groaned, rubbing her bottom and rewrapping the cloak around her.

"If you want to play this game girl then be prepared for the consequences. A sore ass is not the worst I can do." Alucard threw himself into his chair, eyeing the two behind his glasses. He pulled out his gun, looking down the barrel at Lina's heart, making her curl up with fear. "Now…you are here. This is the best I can do for accommodations unless you wish to go stay in my other home that is no doubt filled with mold, has multiple planks of rotting wood, rodent infestations, and likely has been vandalized, possibly is used a drug house or by prostitutes and homeless as a shelter. I am placing my bets on all the options since I have not been given back that property yet because I have no way to get around a small contractual obligation necessary to have it restored to me. Does this meet with the princess's approval." Alucard waved the gun in her direction casually, letting her see how his finger flexed around the trigger. Lina pouted, darting a glance over at Dracula for some support but he gave none. Weakly Lina nodded, relieved when the gun was pointed away from her. "Wonderful, so now get on with it." He stretched out his legs and crossed them at his ankles, flipping up the brim of his hat so he could watch them. Lina looked over to Dracula, trying to see if he was ready to talk about this. Not that it really matter, Alucard literally had her at gunpoint.

"Well…do you want the long version or the bare bones version? You can probably get the details from yourself, except for the details on my end…" Lina licked her lips, her hand resting on the coffin and ran along the glossed wood, tracing absentmindedly the words. Alucard did not show the shivers of pleasure that went down his spine. Dracula suppressed those shivers as well.

"Give me the bare bones version including your details." Dracula walked further back into the hall, not wanting to see Lina's face as she told the story. Lina listened as his foot falls echoed in the stone hall.

"Well…in our past lives…when you were Dracula…I was a girl named Setareh. We were friends, and eventually we were married. We were married for about two years, and when you were getting ready to go to war, the one that would start your second reign, Dracula murdered Setareh. Literally he backstabbed her straight through the heart, leaving her corpse to rot in the woods. That betrayal made Setareh decide she did not want to exist anymore. The broken pieces of her soul became those shatter lifetimes I told you about, and eventually after five hundred years all the pieces and past lives have come together and that is what my soul is made out of. The shattered pieces of a woman betrayed by the man she loved, the failed lives of women that made terrible choices, children that had horrible hands of fate dealt to them, and of course what I am making out of myself. So…That is the basics. They were married, she was murdered, and now…this." Dracula was relieved that Lina had put the story in kinder words than he deserved. Alucard said nothing, simply absorbing the information and trying to find the corresponding memories from the ones he had gained from Dracula.

"So you knew all of this…and still desired to be around me." The distrust in Alucard's' voice rang out loud and clear. Acard growled out, he knew a thing about revenge, so he was not buying this harmless act of Lina's anymore. There was an alternative motive to her relationship, and sheer stubbornness to let him go. "What marching orders did Setareh give you in regards to this relationship? Are you supposed to take your revenge by killing me? Or just literally tearing me in half? Or has she come to some great revelation that it's a petty problem and wants to forgive him." Dracula pinned Alucard with a furious gaze as the accusation rang out.

"She would want me to…. Even if I would never be able to…but I like you too much to murder you. I don't see why I have dislike you just because she had a bad experience. I mean…I think it's enough for you to have your ass handed to you by an old man, and being kept as a slave for a hundred years. That's kinda humiliating for someone like you." Dracula was completely taken aback. This girl was only with them for revenge? He slowly walked closer, his picture of Lina being his Setareh only newer melting and he could not help the melancholy that brought with it. Alucard shifted more with displeasure at the thought of his defeat and his slavery as some sort of cosmic repayment for something he did not even remember doing. He killed thousands of people, why did this one woman matter so much. "Besides, I rather just know that you are drowned under a sea of guilt over murdering a loyal wife that sacrificed everything to try and help you succeed. She wanted nothing but for you to get what she knew you deserved, and in return you murder her once you get bored with her so you can marry some other woman two weeks after you murder her. If not guilt and regret you should at least feel some shame for that kind of behavior." Lina did not look at either man as she spoke, focusing up at the sky and her fingers aching from the cold.

"I felt so much shame that I wiped the memories away. I agonized over what to do. I could not send her home because she would be shamed in her family's eyes and lord knows how they would have treated her, I could not divorce her because no one would take her and care for her, and she could not speak the language so she could not settle and simply move on with her life. It was the only option I had." Dracula spoke venomously to her, his hand resting on the handle of his blade. "But I did not do it for another bride. My actions were deplorable but my reasons were noble. I will not have you putting crimes on me that I am not guilty of girl." Dracula spoke out for his own defense, Alucard watching the two of them as if it was a private showpiece. "If I could ask for her forgiveness I would but as you put it she is broken." Dracula marched over to Lina, grasping her by her chin and forcing her to look up at him. Lina whimpered as the mad king looked down at her with hellfire eyes. "Why would you accuse me of murdering her for another bride?"

"She saw you consummate your marriage to Elisabeta!" Dracula hid his horror at this news well, his fingers loosening their grip on Lina's chin. He had no idea how she could have seen such a sight, but the accusation had grounds to stand on from her view of these events. "The angel of death had mercy on her when she begged to see you before going to the other side, and when she saw that she just lost it. But like I said, I don't want revenge. It's enough for you to feel like crap. So let's just let this go. I hold no grudge. I like Alucard and I don't want other people sticking their fingers in my happy cake damn it." Lina stared down at the stone floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"You act as if I am a passive player here. I might just end our relationship after this affair is settled." Alucard watched her turn to him, a frown on her face but Alucard didn't really care. This girl was a pain in the ass and if he could put his past self back together and get rid of her, his life would go back to normal. The same old, boring, normal routine of waiting for something interesting and challenging to come his way, because the constant stress of being in a relationship with her was getting…fun.

"Why did she want to see me after what I did to her? What did she expect to gain from seeing me? It does not excuse the wedding so soon after her passing, but what did she want." Dracula withdrew his hands from Lina, Alucard wishing he had wine to enjoy this show with. Lina stood up, handing Dracula back his cloak, moving closer to Alucard and taking a deep breath, trying to word her answer gently.

"She couldn't remember what happened to her when she died. She just woke up alone in the woods, the angel of death trying to lead her away to the other side. She forgot what happened, looked back to try and keep her memories, and it just went wrong from there. Seeing her own body decaying was really shocking, and it jarred her memory about what she was going to tell you before she got lost in the woods. And that led to her wanting to see you to make sure you were okay because she thought something happened to you." Lina wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.

"What was she going to tell me?" Dracula asked softly, looking at Lina as he put his cloak on once more. Lina did not want to tell him, but the truth was five hundred years old, it was time for him to know. She regretted having Alucard witness this now, even if they were the same person, this was something only Dracula should have the right to hear. Then again Alucard had a gun pointed at her so it was a mute point.

"She was three months pregnant." The words were just ghostly whispers from her lips, but with the look on Dracula's face she may as well have advertised it in bright neon lights three stories high. Alucard let the gun dangle limply in his hand, feeling his normal swagger falter and fail him this once. Perhaps this was something he should let be discussed in private. He did not want to see himself cry. Alucard stood up, marching out of the room and slamming the door behind him, almost dislodging some of the remaining stones on the debilitated roof, yet sagging against it and listening in. Now that they were alone Dracula moved to sit in the vacated chair. This tall imposing warmonger sat down and he looked like his spine had just been ripped out, he put his head in his hands. Lina turned her back to him, not wanting to embarrass this man with having her watch his dismay. She could hear the armor tremble slightly as Dracula's shoulders shook with unshed tears. "She wanted to let you know before you went away. She thought it would make you fight harder if you knew that there was a child on the way. Plus she wanted to make sure that you knew incase…she never saw you again." There was a silence that settled between them, Dracula absorbing this.

"If I had known I would have fought harder for her." Lina was confused, turning to look up at him, not speaking in case he was not done yet. "I should have fought harder for her. I lost my wife and child because I did not wish to fight for them." She wanted to tell him that the baby should not have mattered, but at least this was something. "I wish you had not told me." He looked up at her, blood dripping from his eyes and he wiped the droplets off with his hands.

"I'm sorry…" Lina was being much too nice, she should be ripping her claws into him while she had him weak, she should emotionally destroy him. His jugular was exposed and she could devastate him almost as deeply as he had her. "Why did you do it? What made you betray her?" She squared her shoulder, walking up the steps so she was standing before him. His face hardened once more and he turned away from her gaze.

"It was either my hands or the hands of the church. She was accused of witchcraft and the church demanded her to be turned over for the trials. I was going to come after her in the woods, but a servant of the bishop came and demanded I either bring her to be tried or bring proof she was dead. They said she had put a curse on someone in the castle and wanted it lifted immediately. I did not want them to torture her." His voice was firm, and in some ways she could see how it was kinder for him do the deed, but still.

"Did you have to do something that cruel…she lay there choking on her own blood with your face as the last thing burned into her mind. Didn't you even think to bury her? I can't say whether you made the right or wrong choice, but with the choice you made you could have done it better." Lina was not scolding him; she just had to speak her mind now that she had the chance. She knew things could never be forgotten or repaired between Dracula and Setareh, but Lina wanted to settle this so she could try and continue with Alucard. Of course Alucard sounded eager to get rid of her, so it at least this might help her merge with her own past lives by healing the fissures with the source of them.

"I cannot change what I did, five hundred years is enough time to mull over for another option, but action had to be taken. I am sorry for how it transpired. I am indeed drowning in my misery. May that satisfy her." He moved to wipe the tears off his face with his cloak, her hand lifting the fabric and gently dabbing away at the bloody trails on his face. She smiled down at him, kissing this imposing man sweetly on the lips.

"I wish it had ended better for both of you." Dracula nodded, letting her leave him and Lina opened the door to leave, finding Alucard eyeing her. With a soft click she closed the door, letting Dracula vent his emotions without prying eyes. Looking up Lina met Alucard's' glasses, knowing he was watching her from under them. With a soft smile she leaned against the door. Neither noticed the darkening of the clouds, but Lina looked up as the first drop of rain fell, it running down her cheek and followed quickly by others. The droplets came down in a sudden torrent, drenching Lina, and if not for Alucards' keen eyesight, he would have mistaken the tears as mere rain. She was soaked quickly, her teal colored shirt and black jeans sticking to her skin. "I think I should just drive home. I need some dry clothes." She dug around in her pockets, trying to find the keys, hearing the soft clicking of them, looking to see that Alucard had them dangling in his fingers just out of her reach. She held her hand out, not in the mood to play his game when her heart was breaking for what might have been. After a few moments with nothing but rain falling onto her outstretched hand she looked up, finding Alucard walking away towards the car. With a heavy sigh Lina followed Alucard to the car, glancing back towards the closed doors. Silently she got into the car, only sparing a few moments to envy Alucard for being able to stay completely dry when he sat down after walking through a rainstorm. "Thank you."

"You know that you never would have succeeded in killing me." Alucard started the car, travelling through the streets slowly as people on the sidewalks either ducked into buildings or continued to walk in the rain begrudging their own ill fortune. Lina looked up at him, a soft defeated smile on her lips, nodding her concession to the point. Her hand reached out and turned the heater on, holding her cold fingers up to the vent to try and get the digits warm. "You are disappointed with how that went." His voice was toneless, but Lina could feel his eyes on her, calculating her.

"Maybe…I just always thought this moment would be so much more…dramatic." With a hand stretched out and rested on Alucards'. A heavy sigh left her, hazel eyes watching the droplets of rain and listening to the way the world sounded. With an unconscious motion he stroked her hand and brushed it off so he could continue driving, Lina looking away to keep the smile off her face. He was threatening to leave her, but Lina was sure he was not going to. They both talked big, but they were creatures of habit, and they had made each other a habit.

"That's the problem with actors. They expect real-life to be just as emotional as the stage. How much more dramatic do you want? He made it rain so the world would cry for him." Alucard's voice was filled with disgust for the weakness of his other self. How could a war monger cry over a single woman? It was so pathetic. It was so weak. It was so…human. There should be no humanity left in him, not after this long.

"You're right. I may not have been as angry as she would have wanted, but he misses her…that should be enough right?" A yawn passed her lips, and she found it increasingly difficult to resist drifting off to sleep with the sound of the rain and the motions of the car soothed her. "I wonder how I got this stupid infection…" That topic drifted back into her memory now that the emotional problem was 'solved'. Alucard looked down at her, a smirk on his lips. He wouldn't leave her…yet. They still had a bet to settle.

"You may have been right. The bacteria survived and then you ingested them when I kissed you." He pointed out matter-of-factly. Lina rolled her eyes at him, closing her eyes to listen to the rain. A smile erupted on her face that he had said she was right. If only it hadn't come at such a terrible price. Alucard pulled up in front of the Vance home, putting the car in park yet neither moving to exit. "Aren't you worried this changes everything between us?" How could she be so calm? She had committed murder with him, and she had kissed him while his mouth was full of blood. It had gotten her sick. His past self had murdered her, and he had threatened to leave her, she had nearly died from being thrown into a wall, and yet… Her face was a picture of serenity. She was never calm; she was always loud, obnoxious, and overly confident before he put her in her place. He briefly wondered if maybe she had actually fallen asleep.

"It's a downright shame…seems an awful waste…such a nice plump frame what's his name has…had…has…nor it can't be traced…" The soft spoke lyrics caught his attention, a grin spreading over their lips in almost rehearsed unison. "It's priest…have a little priest." Acceptance, that was so…sexy of her. These lyrics had been pushed into his ear forcibly by her seemingly constant playing of the sound track recently, but after a while the songs grew on him; after all, the story was relatable.

"Is it really good?" He unbuckled her seat belt, leaning over her, his hands pinning her against the seat. He loved frustrating her. It was cute when she pouted after he got her worked up into needing him and then pulling away, leaving her to turn red and pout like a child being denied candy. As much as he missed physical pleasure, he was not ready to commit either way. If he had sex with her then she could never be turned into a vampire. If he turned her into a vampire…he'd be stuck with her till she drove him mad...well madder.

"Sir it's too good at least, then again they don't commit sins of the flesh…so it's pretty fresh." She leaned up, pecking him on the cheek, her arms crossing to protect her from molestation. If she had it her way she would have already lost her chastity with how often he left her all wet and flustered. "Since we both know this leads to you teasing me till my panties are wet and I'm already soaked can't I just go to bed?"

**(Warning! Alert! Warning! Naughty part, skip down to avoid it)**

"You don't like me teasing you? I could have sworn you loved it." Lina opened the door, Alucard pulling it closed again. She leaned in, kissed his lips and let her hands run down his chest. He smirked, he always got his way. His hands moved down to play with the wet fabric of her shirt, teasing her collar bone and finding that special spot that made her arch like a cat. He could feel her small wet hands moving lower, tugging at his belt to undo it and unfastening his pants. 'No…she could not be trying to...oh god yes she was.' He let slip a soft groan as her warmed fingers dove under the waist of his pants to stroke his length, the gentle touch stirring him easily. It had been far too long since a woman had touched him. Lina blushed at how bold she was being but it felt kind of good. Alright it felt really good. Lowering his head Alucard licked at her neck, scraping his fangs over her newly found pleasure spot as her fingers wrapped around his cock. Lina could feel him stiffening in her hand, noticing of how her fingers did not touch as they wrapped around. She let her hand travel down his full length, her eyes widening as her hand had to travel further and further. "That's all me weakling."

He could feel the heat of her blush as her blood rushed to her cheeks with mortification as she continued to now shyly stroke him. Gripping the seat he let his tongue lap at her throat, feeling her shiver. Lina could not believe how it felt to actually touch him this intimately, moaning as he continued to play with her neck. He was hardening fast as her unskilled fingers touched him, the warmth, and softness of her fingers accompanied by the occasional brush of one of her nails. He was straining against his pants, laughing darkly as she timidly pressed him back to sit in the driver's' seat and her body moving closer to him. He closed his eyes as she pulled him out and started to stroke him with both hands, enjoying the sensations after an extended period without such comforts. Blood rushed to the area with a rabid force, the absence of stimulation magnifying the sensations. He felt her thumb slowly circling the tip and groaned, feeling her stop and look up to him. "I'll tell you when you do it wrong, just keep going." Those lasts words were nearly growled out as he spread his legs. She let both her hands stroke him, his fangs bared as he could feel his flesh tingling. He let out a snarl of pleasure as Lina's wet tongue started to swirl around the tip. His eyes shot open and he watched her lick at his member, his eyes glowing he held himself in check. When she wrapped her lips around the top and began to suck lightly Alucard could not help but moan, pushing his hips up towards her mouth. Her hands continued to stroke him and with her tongue innocently flicking around on his head he closed his eyes. Flexing the muscles in his legs he reached down to rest his hand on the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair.

"If I didn't know you were a virgin I would think you've done this before." Those words barely left his lips before she took more of him into her mouth, feeling her warm mouth envelop his shaft. Lina focused on the sound of his voice and on her actions, suppressing her body's confusion to the coldness of the flesh she was attending to. He could feel the ripples of pleasure travel up his spine to the base of his skull before sending smaller pulsing waves of through his mind. A frown crossed her face when he gave a rough tug on her hair, a hand reaching up and trying to make his fingers ease up before he yanked hair out and left a bald spot. His fingers relented their grip, instead he press down on her head to try and put more in her mouth. Much to his surprise she did take more, and he could feel the back of her throat, her tongue now just lazily rubbing against his flesh as she dragged her nails up and down his exposed thighs. Alucard grinned down at her head with a twisted smirk; gently he encouraged her head up slowly as he decided to try to make beg her for the right to suck him. Much to his chagrin and satisfaction she resisted and the next thing he felt were her lips brushing the base of his shaft as her throat was constricting around him as she aimed to breathe around him. It made him groan and he gripped her by the back of her neck with his hands, applying pressure to lessen her air intake even more. Lina felt the grip, trying not to panic, calming her breathing rate by using a technique from her mediation to keep herself from suffocating and begging him to release her. She could no longer look up at him, her wet hair curtaining off her lines of sight and his hands around her throat left no room to try and twist without cutting off her air altogether.

"If your mouth wasn't busy I would ask how the hell you learned to deep throat. Now…purr like a cat for me and you can have some air." The way her body tensed and her hips shifted told him she was pouting at the indignity of the demand, her nails digging into his thighs so hard that if he was human it might have drawn blood. He chuckled, rocking his hips a bit into her mouth to keep his pleasure high. Her struggling was so cute, like a kitten fighting a crocodile. A shark like grin split his face and he reached back to rub at the curve of her ass, watching as she squirmed more as she realized just how bad a position she was in. "Did not think this through did you weakling?" She retracted her 'claws' from his thighs, and he knew he had her unwilling recognition that he was right, that and she was running out of air. "All you have to do is purr for me." As much as Lina disliked the idea of losing, she really did not want this to be how she died. The other lifetimes would never stop teasing her for suffocating during a blowjob. With as little air as she had left she tried to purr, it not coming out quite right considering he was blocking her throat, but it seemed to satisfy him as he let go and she pulled her head up , trying to not gasp for air. He keep a hand on her throat, not letting her get to far away, her cheeks burning red as she felt so humiliated by this. "Got enough air yet?" She shook her head.

"Not…yet…" She panted before he pushed her back down and made her deep throat him again, he wanted to laugh at the way she was squirming and trying to smack his face. Lina's eyes widened as he unbuttoned her pants and pushed her jeans down to her knees, playfully snapping the elastic of her panties. The rain was still heavy, and he made sure that she was covered by his coat, not wanting to expose her to everyone. She struggled to try and get away from him, his shadows wrapping around her waist and she pouted internally. This was just not how she wanted this to happen…then again, some of the best things in life were what went wrong. She could feel a shadow hand wander under her shirt and she slapped it away, if he wanted to molest her he was going to be restricted to two hands damn it…for now. He pulled her panties down and she clamped her thighs together to protect herself from his cold fingers.

"I think I see your point, it's terrible being teased and tormented with pleasure…so consider this my apology." Alucard slowly dragged his fingers along her slit, spreading her lips and running his finger along her unprotected flesh. Lina felt her mind short circuit for a moment, he had never touched her this way, he had teased and stroked her, but never like this and it was so good. She moaned loudly as he touched her, the sound gagged but still filled with her physical delight. He pulled his hand back and she wriggled in protest. She could not see as he brought his fingers up and licked them, she could only squeal and moan as his wet fingers rubbed her slit and she felt herself get moist as he did. She did her best to suck on him, even trying that purring again if that would make him finish. Alucard could feel her getting wet and groaned as she started to pay attention to him again, his hips pressing up into her warm mouth as his cold wet fingers stroked and prodded her slit. He let his fingers explore her flesh and found her clit, rubbing the tender bundle of nerves and he watched as she squirmed in pleasure and her hands gripped his thighs tighter as she moaned around him. With a nearly sadistic grin he pushed his long finger inside of her while tightening his grip on her throat, stroking her insides and feeling her flesh shiver in response and her moaning. He slowly pulled out and pressed his finger in deeper, knowing that she was blushing furiously and that she was not remembering to control her breathing, leaving her trying to pant for air around his member, the control he had over her heightening his pleasure. The rain outside seemed to be getting heavier, a flash of lightning and a loud peel of thunder rumbling their ears, Lina moaning louder around him and he could feel her tighten around him.

"You like power don't you. Power and danger." He squeezed his fingers around her throat and curled his finger inside her, stroking her walls and growling in pleasure as she struggled to breathe and keep sucking on him at the same time. "Well, for now you're mine Kitten. So be a good girl and scream for me." He pinched at her clit as his finger pressed deeper, the lack of air and the sensations making her scream and climax for him, tears in the corners of her eyes from how strong her had made her climax. He felt her finish, holding her head still by her neck and rocking his hips up into her mouth till he groaned, the sparks and jolts of pleasure pushing him to release in her mouth with a satisfied sneer, leisurely pulling his finger from her depths and licking it clean. Lina slowly was allowed to pull back, panting softly for air and her hands rushing to right her clothing as she swallowed the salty fluid in her mouth, reaching for a water bottle she left in her car, drinking to wash away the taste, not that she found it to be disgusting, but her mouth was dry and this had really strained her throat more. They said nothing for a few moments, Lina letting her hair shield her flushed face from his gloating gaze as she quickly tried to right her pants. Alucard put himself away, his body relaxed to the point where he was almost slumped in his chair. "Where did you learn that marvelous trick?" Alucard watched as she somehow managed to blush brighter, her eyes timidly glancing outside, her body jumping as another flash of lightning and boom of thunder filled the night.

**(End naughty part)**

"Well…I knew about it from the internet, and my past lives did it…as for me being able to do it this first time…maybe that skill is transferable between lifetimes." She pulled the keys out of the ignition, pocketing them quickly since her house key was attached. With a less than graceful motion she opened the door and clambered out into the rain, shutting the door quickly to keep the interior from being soaked. She turned around and was surprised to find Alucard looming over her. Almost asking how he did that, and then remembering the part where he was the king of vampires. He leaned in closer to her, making her press her body against the car and kissing her deeply, her eyes drifting closed as he pushed his tongue into her mouth, her hands going to his shoulders as he swirled his tongue in her mouth. When he pulled away Lina found herself on the front steps, under the roof where she could just feel the chill from the rain but not being pummeled by it. Looking around she found Alucard missing and smiled wider. He would not dump her, of that she was certain…killing her though…still a possibility. "Night Alucard, don't get into too much trouble." Spinning on the balls of her feet to face the front door she began to hum the tune to "It's Priest" again, her hips swaying and the pills rattling in her pocket. Opening it she stepped inside, taking her shoes off and meandering upstairs for a warm shower, to dressed for bed, and maybe cooking something for dinner.

* * *

Mary Our Mother…November 20…2 pm.

The sound of children shouting and laughing floated through the halls of the orphanage, giving the otherwise dearly looking interior a small spark of cheer. Integra followed the nun leading her to her meeting with Anderson. Walter was in tow, neither trusting the insane paladin to behave himself after the last time he had threatened to kill her. This meeting would serve as a supplement to her ever having to meet with Maxwell so it was a trade off, put herself in a dangerous position of have to spend time in the same room as that man. The nun knocked on the door, a gruff Scottish voice telling someone else in the room something. The door opened and Integra had to keep herself from jumping out of her skin as Sean opened the door. Her mind scrambled to try and recount if there was any way for him to know her, but she realized that did not matter. He would have heard that Alucard was an ex-servant through Section 13. Integra was going to rip Alucard a new one…and she would have to relocate Miss Khayam, for both her safety, and for the Mr. Vance's she lived with him. Sean stepped aside to let her and Walter in, pulling out her chair for her before going to a desk and hunching over a bible, pen writing on paper as Sean seemed intent on memorizing and ingraining the words into his very soul. With a mask firmly in place Integra turned to look at Anderson, seeing the priest smiling with just genuine good will contradicted everything she knew about him from prior experiences where that smile had been maniacal and he was trying to sever her head from her shoulders. It was reassuring to have Walter hovering over her shoulder, his fingers tensed and at the ready. The werewolf had set him on edge.

"Aye 'ear that yer uncomfortable 'ithd me here on yer Protestant land. Are ye afraid of me?" That smile changed instantly to the vicious one she remembered from Badrick. Keeping her features schooled Integra stared back into crazed green eyes with calculating blues.

"I'm not afraid of you Anderson; I just do not trust nor like the motivations behind you being sent here. A man like you is not to be trusted around civilians; you have no regard for them because you are a religious fanatic. I do not want you here anymore than you want me in this room." Her words were clear cut, crisp, and left no gray area in her feelings towards the priest. This was going to be a short meeting.

It took thirty minutes for Integra to get fed up with the Vatican's demands, putting forth her points of contention and making it clear that any violence against civilians by any Section 13 agent would be an act of war. When the priest seemed to calm down suddenly and change back into the composed, almost charming man he behaved like around the children while taking the documents and telling her he would send them to Section 13 for their views on the matter she nearly lost it and slapped him. As a testament to her self control she thanked him politely and left the room, Walter having to keep pace with her as she stalked out of the building and to the car.

"Take me to that bastard." She growled out, her temper getting the better of her now that she was out of eyesight. Walter did not have to ask who she meant, it was very clear exactly who would be taking the majority of her wrath today. As he drove towards Carfax he started running over a list of things he would need to do in order to prepare for Integra's orders. He could see a solution to offer her should she ask; although he had an inkling that she had devised a similar plan in order to rectify the situation. As they pulled up to the building they could hear shouting already coming from inside the walls of the vampires' lair. As both exited the car they could distinguish that one voice was female and the other voice was male. Walter smirked, Lina and Alucard it seemed were getting along as well as the vampire could get along with another person, a small smile and soft chuckle leaving him as he followed Integra inside the ruined church. The shouting only got louder and the words were becoming more distinct, the noise leading both to the main chapel where Alucard kept his coffin. Pausing a moment they listened for a chance to interrupt the couple without having to shout to announce their own arrival.

"How can you say no! You fucking know how hard this could be for her! She looks up to you for gods know what reason and she wants you there! If you don't come she might change her mind and then have to be put through this for nothing!" Linas voice was shrill and grating on the ears, her pitch and speed making the words almost run together. Not that anyone would expect her voice to be pleasant while filled with outrage.

"I never asked for her to like me! I never asked for anyone to like me! I want to be feared! I want to respected, and most of all I WANT YOU TO LEARN YOUR FUCKING PLACE!" Alucard's' voice was painfully loud, it rattling their ear drums. The voice had been like a lion roaring, the sheer fury in that voice making them blanch a bit. Even though it sounded like Lina had brought this upon herself they felt bad for her. They expected the girl to start crying with how horrible Alucard's' voice had been, the rage between the two on the other side of the door helping soothe Integras' own anger.

"I will learn my place when you give me some respect too! You want me to fear you, I do, I'm terrified shitless of you! But this isn't about me! It's about a little girl that wants you there for moral support! She's going to be stuck in a room with one of those fucking bastards that hurt her! Seeing you there would make her feel safe asshole! She wants to scare that piece of shit so she can feel in control and the only way she can is if you are sitting there in her corner you selfish prick!" Lina's voice could not reach the same volume that Alucard's had but her passion and the message was loud and clear, she was not backing down from him.

"DID I SAY WAS NOT GOING TO GO! OF COURSE I'M GOING! THE PROBLEM IS YOU VOLUNTEERING ME FOR THINGS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" There was a lull in the yelling, but soft talking could be heard. "SUCKING MY COCK DOES NOT COUNT!" The door nearly rattled off its hinges and dust was falling from the ceiling above them and both looked up, worried the stones might come loose. Integra had to keep the blush from her face as the words soaked in, Walter snickering behind his hand as he moved to knock on the door. The knock was firm and confident. Walter has faced Alucard's' more severe tempers having enraged the vampire by kicking his coffin and pressing buttons on more than one occasion; and he was no stranger to the ways between a man and his bed mates. There was hushed bickering between the two before Lina opened the door, her face glowing red and they could almost feel the heat radiating off of her. Linas' eyes widened when she saw Sir Integra, realizing they must have heard their argument, and especially the part about what she did. She moved away, her eyes looking down at the floor as if intent on counting the dust particles there. Alucard had his fist embedded through the pieces of sheet metal leaning against the wall. It seems he had been planning on doing some handyman things around his own home before this little incident had broken out. It was an odd occurrence for Alucard to be willingly awake during the day. Neither of them had heard the sound of him punching the metal over his roaring. There was a moment of silence before Lina darted towards the back of the room in humiliation at having her boss knowing she had done something sexual, it was so not a line she was comfortable crossing with the iron maiden. Alucard managed to pull his fist out with an air of dignity and brushed off the dust that had settled onto his clothes. The silence in the room was thick and nearly unsettling, but Integra rose above it as quickly as Alucard did, stepping into the room with her shoulders squared and face in a serious mask. "To what do I owe you gracing my home with your presence my dear former master." He let the words roll smoothly over his lips, and one would not even know he had been shouting a moment ago.

"I just had an 'interesting' meeting with an agent of Section 13 and a certain someone that apparently has risen from the dead." Integra smirked, enjoying this chance to legitimately call his skills into question. Alucard's eyes narrowed as he tried to get to the point, during the day his temper was shorter than normal and his desire to play games was gone in the face his hatred for the sun and his instinctual desire to lay in his coffin. Lina looked over from her corner across from him with obvious confusion, wondering what Integra was talking about. "Sean Thorndale is now with Section 13, and he is here in London." Integra took more pleasure than she should have in watching Alucard's expression flow from neutral to shock and then into outright indignation. With a glance over to Lina she was taken aback by the relief and near joy in the younger girls' face. "Why on earth are you smiling you Yankee git? The man that tried to kill you is alive and well, and in the city for crying out loud." Alucard snapped his head to look at Lina as Integra pointed it out, his lips pulling back to show his terrible fangs. Lina looked at all of them and her smile fell, looking down and ashamed of herself.

"I'm happy because he is okay…he wasn't always a monster. Besides…I can understand his point of view. He gave everything for me, even though I told him not to, to try and prove he was right for me." She looked up at Alucard quickly and then away. "Besides, he has no clue I'm alive. He thinks I'm dead and that he killed me. The only person here that would be his target is Alucard because he would probably blame everything on him and sees him as an outlet for his frustration. It's not about me anymore. It's about which guy is more powerful." Lina was happy and saddened by this epiphany, realizing the cruel irony of this situation. Sean had sacrificed in a similar way to what Setareh had done, but unlike that Lina could influence this. She could set Sean free without his death. But how the fuck was she going to exercise the werewolf?

"I'm still relocating you Miss Khayam, your presence presents too much risk for the Vance residence. You won't have a guard detail like last time, since, as you pointed out, he thinks you are dead. You have two days to pack your things and be ready to move into a safe house." Integra's tone brokered no argument, but an exhausted sigh from Miss Khayam was her reply.

"I hate moving…how long would I stay in this safe house?" Lina was already dreading the bubble wrapping of all her glass collection.

"If she moved into my town home it would be less hassle for you Sir Hellsing. She would pay me for rent and you can keep both of us under your keen eye."

"What do you think the safe house is? Hellsing refurbished it years ago to use as a safe home for victims. If you want that property back you know what you have to do. You can help Miss Khayam move in and get her settled." Integra watched Alucard glare at her with half hearted disgust, knowing his other home had been lived in so many years; he must be exhausted if he was not fighting her on it.

"Give her four days. Samantha has court so everyone will be too busy to pack up. Now all of you get out so I can get some sleep or I will impale all of you." He didn't need to scream to send shivers of fear through the room, Lina quickly kissing him on the cheek before darting out ahead of Integra and Walter to go buy moving supplies.

* * *

Vance Home…6 pm

Matt was sitting down to dinner with his family, the others having gone in early to let him have the house to himself. Tomorrow was a big day, it was huge for Samantha, and everyone was trying to ignore the nervousness swimming in their stomachs. What if the case was dismissed? What if they didn't believe her? What if this hit the gossip circle? Matt prayed that it wouldn't, his poor cousin would always be haunted by the stigma of being a victim. Samantha was happily chatting up a storm about the book she had read at school, her face bright and happy. There was the sound of a key scrapping in the lock and the actual lock sliding back as the door opened. He could hear sounds of sliding along the floor and Lina grumbling about awkwardly shaped items.

"Hello Lina. We are in the dining room." He called out, letting her know she did not have the house to herself, basically telling her to come say hello to his family. She came in a few minutes later, her shoes missing and her thick coat hung up on the rack by the door. She was not used to the cold temperatures in London. She smiled as she noticed his family, waving from the entrance she was in and coming to greet them.

"Hey there, nice to see you all." Lina turned to Samantha, Matt hearing footsteps behind Linas' in the hallway and wondering who it was. "I asked and he agreed to come for you." Samantha lit up like a firework; she was so excited that she could barely stay in her chair. Lina could feel Matt glaring at her through her back, brushing it off without concern. He could kick her out if he wanted to; she was already forced to move in with Alucard. Apparently the condition for him getting his property back was to have a Hellsing agent keep tabs on him since it was a more public residence, and Lina is technically an agent now so he was going to move in with her. Lina dreaded it to be honest. Alucard was nice in visits, but could she honestly handle living with him? And what the hell was she going to tell her family? Well, she should start by letting them know she was dating someone. That would probably be the best course of action. But she knew they would think she was making the same mistake she had with Sean, but what could she do? She shouldn't have kept it a secret. Turning on her heel she turned towards Matt. "By the way, Director Wingates wants to speak with you. She is waiting in the hallway." Matt nearly jumped to his feet, mumbling an excuse as he darted out to the hallway, feeling like an ass for having her just wait here.

"Director Wingates, I am sorry, I had no idea you were waiting out here. You need to speak with me?" Matt straightened up and ran his hand back on his hair, trying to smooth it out to make himself look more presentable. He saw Integra give a small smile at his overly eager reception of her, and he felt his confidence sink lower.

"Miss Khayam is being moved to a Hellsing safe house. She will be leaving in four days. This is for both her safety as well as yours since it appears that Mr. Thorndale is not deceased as we had previously believed. You and the other residents are still allowed social interactions with her." Integra felt flattered that he had been so eager to see her; normally men were eager to go sprinting away from her. "I also wish to apologize for not responding to your letters. It seems that they were not being passed along to me." A soft look came over Integra's face as she let her body relax, not feeling as tense around him as she had to be around others. Matt felt relieved to know that she had actually cared to know that he had been sending then, and thrilled that she had wanted them.

"It's alright. You must be a busy woman. I can see how my letters would get swept up with those social invites to be forgotten in corners. There's no need to apologize. And I can't believe Lina is going to move out. Sure I hate her choice in men but…she's never done anything to make me hate her. Suppose I own her an apology before she leaves." Matt glanced over his shoulder at the dining room, making sure no stray ears were with them. "Can I ask you a question? That vampire Lina is seeing, he worked for you. Would you say he is safe around children? Samantha has been demanding he come to her trail tomorrow and to speak with him. I don't like him, but she does."

"It's completely rational to not like him. I would question your sanity if you did like him before knowing him personally." Integra let her arms rest at her sides, a small twitch of her lips as she recalled her childhood. "He is fine around children. He only wants to kill things that are a challenge. He does not see children as a challenge to kill, so he does not get aggressive towards them." She knew she had promised to not ask details, but Integra wanted to know, just so she could have her imagination settled with the truth. "What is the trail for?" Integra watched Matt's face fall before he schooled them into a mask.

"It's a family matter." Matt tried not to be rude, but he was not going to give out details. It was Samantha's choice on who she informed, he would not speak a word more than she had been taken and returned. Integra nodded in understanding, her eyes roaming the house. It was a very homey place when it hadn't been ripped apart by a monster. They were quiet for a few moments before a soft giggle drew their attention. Matt saw his aunt watching them with a twinkle in her eyes and both felt awkward under the woman's mirthful gaze.

"Matthew dear, it would be more polite to invite her into the sitting room if you two are going to talk. I raised you better than this." Janette turned and went back to the dining table and Integra felt that she would best be going. Saying her goodbyes she turned and left, Matt closing the door after her before going to finish his dinner, Lina having already slipped upstairs to start on her move.

**Chapter End**


	27. Sea of Troubles

Vance home…November 18, Saturday…2:13 am

Friday had been a hard day. Everyone had been so proud of Samantha; she had been so brave and collected. The child had handled herself so confidently. Lina felt so embarrassed that she had nearly broken down and cried when Samantha had been so strong when recounting what happened to her. At lease the defendant had admitted to everything, even against his lawyer's advice and the case was going straight to sentencing by a judge, no trial. Not that Lina had expected anything different. Alucard made sure the defendant admitted to his crimes and requested trial by judge. Whether it was through threat of unspeakable violence, his dark and authoritative aura, or a simple act of mind control did not matter. The result was a short sentencing period instead of Samantha having to be in court day after day fighting a defense that would try and dismantle her story in front of a jury. Lina would have to be nicer to Alucard to make up for her poor behavior, even if it was only because of her desire to help a child. Classes had come after the hearing and Lina had been twenty minutes late thanks to traffic in the parking lot. Having her professor scold her was normally something she would just grumble about before brushing it off and doing well on the assignment but today it had been just a bit too much and she had told the professor to back off, which shocked most of the class since everyone considered her to be a teacher's pet. Leaving campus Lina had gone to Hellsing headquarters to put in work hours, keeping silent the entire time so she would not explode at Sir Hellsing again. The warning from a few days ago still solidly in the back of her mind. Thankfully her tasks had been few and far between, leaving her plenty of time to nearly rip her hair out from how frustrating it was trying to teach Seras anything. Lina had blonde friends, and her great grandmother had been blonde, but Lina still caught herself cussing Seras out as a blonde bimbo in her mind. At first Seras had thrown a fit as Lina explained the bet and the consequences of loosing, but when she realized that telling Sir Integra to try and get help was useless she had submitted to her fate and agreed. The only way out was for them to actually win the bet. Their power of choice was defying gravity. Why? Because Seras had said it would be fun. Lina had to remind herself that killing Seras would technically count as loosing the bet as the fledgling vampire had failed to even crawl up a wall.

Now she just barely got into her room, wanting nothing more than to go curl up in her bed but she had to start packing. If she waited till morning to start she would not get anything done. Looking around she decided to start with her books, something easy but also important. Getting a medium sized moving box she set it up and then dragged it with her into the back of her closet, carefully laying the books in like they were Tetris pieces so she could use her space as efficiently as possible. When the books in her closet were packed she dragged the box out and started to put away the ones on her book shelf, writing books on the side of the box as she finished with her first box. Stretching her back till she heard her bones crack Lina moved to her bed, slowly pulling her clothes off till she was nude before climbing into her bed, lying on her side and letting sleep take her.

Once she was soundly asleep Dracula slipped into her room in his mist form, reassembling himself inside and looking at her prone form. He smirked, having been guilty of watching her strip, and every aware that she was just in sheets. Alucard was busy hunting to satisfy his boredom and purposely ignoring Lina after their little tiff. Dracula had left behind his armor, not wanting to wake her as he moved closer to the bed, a lustful look in his eyes as he licked his lips. Fresh blood…fresh virgin blood was just within his grasp. Dracula no longer held reservations about taking blood from such easy prey. This girl was close to his princess, but since she was not her and had even admitted to having been of vengeful purpose. Dracula felt a cold settle over his heart. Those stupid blood packs and the tainted blood of other vampires and criminals on the street were not satisfying the hunger. The hunger was never truly satisfied, but at least with virgin blood he could be content for a few days longer than normal feedings. It would be wrong if Dracula lied to himself and omitted the fact that he also wanted to turn this girl, to have the satisfaction of claiming her before his other self. Dracula knew of their fun after they had left him there to morn his losses, and his pride demanded repayment. With silent steps he encroached on her sleeping form, his hand pushing the blankets down to expose her neck and shoulder to him. Stopping his breath so she would not feel it against her overly sensitive skin he leaned in, his long hair brushing against her shoulder when he was close enough and his fangs sharpening as he readied to sink his fangs in.

"Are you really this mad at me?" Her soft question made him stop from sinking his fangs into her unprotected flesh, but he did not move away from her. She stayed still under him, her heart beat racing, sending more blood pumping through her veins. Dracula could hear it rushing beneath him, and he felt his mouth water. She was silent, waiting for his answer. Normally she would have pulled away and started screaming and putting up a fight. However being naked while doing that was definitely not going to happen, he would probably enjoy it. Apprehension filled her as he loomed over her with his body so close, his hair still resting along her exposed shoulder and some stands of his hair slinked forward, resting over her chest. On reflex her arms brought the sheets tighter to her to protect her modesty. He noticed the reaction and chuckled, cold air passing his lips and he listened as she let out a soft sound as the simple action make her blood rush even faster. Lina felt as if her nerves were electrified and she badly wanted to let her body shift as it wanted but restrained herself.

"I'm furious with you. Not only did you admit to wanting revenge against me, you left me bogged down in self-resentment over killing my child, and then had the nerve to pleasure my other self without an ounce of shame, then you dare proclaim innocence. I want to taste for myself to see if you really do have a halo or your horns are just well disguised." His cold, rough lips grazed her neck as he spoke. His speech was soft, almost like a loving whisper if it was not for how angry his tone was, the contradiction confusing her, terror and arousal. Maybe she could find a new name for this since it was most likely going to be a permanent part of her relationship with him. Dracula moved body even further over her and she felt the bed shift under his weight. Lina went as stiff as a statue; her muscles tensing as he slowly settled over her till he was resting his weight on her, keeping her from escape. "No witty come backs my dear, no pleas for mercy, no begging for me to leave you for Alucard?" His voice was still gentle and soothing, but his tone was filled with mounting anger and Lina could feel the ghost of a touch from his porcelain smooth fangs. "Are you trying to spite him over that stupid argument you started by using me?" He pushed his hips against her. Thank god she was on her side or else she might have moaned instead of bite her lip. Slowly she rolled onto her back, looking up into hellfire red eyes with her mixed brown and green. "Speak up girl or I will not hold back longer." He hissed at her, pinning her with his eyes, trying to hypnotize her so he could feed without interruption or a fight.

"I'll give you a sample…I have nothing to hide from you." Her statement made him break his attempt at hypnosis and he simply stared at her. Fighting the smirk that tried to shine through his mask of indifference Dracula pulled up from her at an agonizingly slow rate, sitting on his knees so to keep her legs under his control. She let out a deep breath she had been holding, feeling slightly better now that she didn't have to worry about her breasts being pressed against his hard chest. She was loyal to Alucard…but she has needs damn it. She moved so she was sitting up, one hand tightly clasping the thin sheets to her body as the other dived under the unoccupied pillow with practiced ease. When she pulled her hand out he was a little surprised that she held a 10 inch long blade in her hand. He couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at her and she smirked. "The bigger one is under the bed." He was half tempted to look until she flipped the blade in her hand, offering him the hilt and the point directed at her. He wrapped his calloused hand around hers and pushed forward, the tip touching the sheets and she could almost feel it against her tender flesh.

"I could stab you right now. Straight through the heart. I've done it before." Dracula hissed dangerously at her, moving the blade so it was between her breasts and would pierce her heart if he decided to thrust. She looked up, trust and fear in her eyes. How she managed those two emotions was a mystery to him.

"We both know that you rather impale than stab me." The confident way she spoke made him relax with a chuckle at the innuendo, pulling the blade from her and studying it. The blade was live steel; the hilt was sturdy and was designed relatively well. True the red gem was false, but the overall look was suited to her. The intertwined snakes along the handgrip reminded him of the snakes in the symbol doctors used to proclaim their occupation. "You have to make the cut…I can't hurt myself like that. Please…keep it small. I am weak against pain." Looking down at the blade he contemplated where to take a sample from. "And don't lick the wound directly. Your saliva probably has Draculin in it." She then added for clarification. "They named an anticoagulant after you." He gazed at her with an exasperated expression. It was flattering and insulting at the same time. He had done more than just drink blood for heaven's sake. She giggled. Lina swore he was grumbling about copyright infringement under his breath. "I need the blood to clot after you had your taste."

"I've been doing this a  _long_  time. Just relax." He brought the blade to her upper arm, the blade getting close to her skin and she shut her eyes and turned away, not wanting to see the cutting. "Acum, lasă-mă să te gust." (1).She whimpered as she felt him make a quick small cut, tears pricking her eyes and she struggled to not move so he could taste her. She felt his cold tongue licking at her slightly under the cut, her body already feeling weak as barely a teaspoon of blood was shed for him. She tried to ignore how nice it felt for his body to be so close and for his tongue to drag against her flesh as he eagerly lapped at the dripping blood. It felt like an eternity for Lina while for Dracula it was barely enough for him to savor the taste of her. Her body leeched his energy and sealed the wound before he could take more than two table spoons worth. "Your halo is lack luster and bent out of shape, but there." He mumbled against her skin. He brought his arms around her, pulling her close to him and she swore he was petting the same way someone pets a dying dog. It unnerved her at the way he pet her, and with the blade now behind her and she decided that she had indulged him long enough.

"Oh good…now can you go…it's early morning, I'm exhausted…and I still have packing to do before we move in together." She pulled her blade from him and slid it back into the sheath hidden under the pillow, pushing Dracula off of her so he fell onto the floor and pulling the covers up again, this time passing out and dead to the world. Dracula blinked from where he sat on the floor, smiling sadly as his body dissolved into mist as slipped out the crack of the door and out into the night before the sun rose behind the fog that covered London.

(1)Now let me taste you.

* * *

Hellsing victim safe-house…soon to be Alucards' townhome…3:42 am

Alucard looked around him, the bland white walls, the generic wood flooring and bottom of the line kitchen. Disgust and distress settled in him at the feeling of all the new and heartlessness of this space. He felt alone and lost in this new environment, everything was new and soulless, no comfort to be found. Alucard had come to see what his new living space was to be like, and he had to strangle his own desire to run back to the comfort of the crumbling walls of Carfax. He could not stand this place. A snarl was ripped from him as he paced once more from the kitchen to the living room, feeling like a caged beast even though he could open the front door and simply leave. He was going to live here! He felt like ripping apart the walls as that thought started to sink in. He marched up the stairs to the second and third floor, wishing that the cheap carpet would tear under his steps. The carpet was thin and the fibers coarse, a neutral tan color and it made the house feel even more cold and sterile. The rooms were in a similar state, the furniture was basic and Alucard could feel his skin crawl. How could he stand to be here? The outside of the home was restored and actually pleasant to look at, fitting in beautifully with the other classic homes, but it was like a mask, glorious and aesthetically pleasing, but inside was nothing more than a shell.

"A house cannot be made habitable in a day…"(2) The words left his lips and he stalked through the bedrooms. The bathrooms were in barely better shape than the kitchen. Alucard fazed through the floors. His temper mounting, two days and then he would be stuck living here. Stalking down the hallway towards the back rooms on the first floor he found laundry room, with the water heater and air conditioning system. There was hope for one other space in the house that he could find livable, the basement. Going to the door he crushes the doorknob in his hand as he pushes it open, a wave of relief flooding him as he was met with stone steps and stone walls. The basement was old and musky, no windows and it felt like the house above no longer existed down here. This would be bearable, he would find solace here. A sudden thought drifted through his mind. Lina would be lonely in that sterile environment above him. He had seen her room; it was lively and lived in. With a sigh he leaned against the cold stone wall, contemplating what to do about her living situation. Rubbing the bridge of his nose he decided it was too close to morning to tackle the problem. Exiting the house Alucard locked it behind him, strolling down the streets without any rush, almost tempted to go hunt down that werewolf just so he could have something to do. Alucards' pride was hurt deeply from learning that he had failed to kill a target. As far as he knew, not a single target he had hunted was still alive or undead, but now he questioned that with his failure of killing the wolf.

(2) From Bram Stoker's Dracula.

*******(memory)*****

"God can't hear you boy." Alucard snarled out, his vision swimming as the toxic mix swirled through and soaked into his body. Even though his steps did not falter he could sense his powers going awry. This boy was staring at him, defeat clear in the werewolf's eyes and Alucard almost felt something akin to pity. Sean was about to pay the price for attacking his coffin. Gripping the bleeding boy by his throat Alucard brought his face close and locked eyes with Sean. "You are a monster, a coward, and a child. You wanted to defeat me and you lost. Do you know why?" Sean was struggling to breathe as his lungs were ripped and his throat was constricted by Alucards' hand. When Sean failed to answer Alucard shook him violently, enjoying the way the shattered arm dangled. Seans' head was swimming as the vampires' rancid, blood, and decomposed breaths filled his overly sensitive nostrils and he felt death approaching him. He prayed it would come before this monster could do more to him. "You failed because you are a child, acting on stupid impulses and failing to plan ahead or even consider the consequences of your actions. You threw a temper tantrum over a girl and took it out on my property instead of having the courage to face me like a man." He forced Sean's eyes open so the werewolf would see his eyes and so these words would be carved into the boys mind as he died. "The real reason you failed is because you and I both monsters. A monster is only defeated by a man. Another monster can be strong and kill its rivals, but they are only defeated by men. So I hope that thought keeps you company on your trip to hell. You died a monster, not a man. Farewell boy." Alucard squeezed his hand tighter and shook Sean violently, spinning as fast as he could before tossing the werewolf as far as he could, watching as the werewolf went soaring across the sky, almost tempted to go see how far he could throw that body. The world tilted violently as the toxins worked, systematically attacking him like a snake's venom. Clearing his mind of his battle lust he turned to the issue at hand. Lina was left for dead in an asylum and he just heard gunshots with screaming emanating from the building the wolves had hidden in. Trying to keep his steps even he walked towards the asylum, expecting to be dragging a dead body from it.

A jolt of pain flashed across his chest. If she was dead then he had failed. Lina had put her life in his hands, had put her trust in him, in all of his powers, and he failed her. He was supposed to be the ultimate monster and yet he had let these second rate wolves kidnap and murder her. She had been thrown into a wall and left to die. The image that came to him made him stop in his tracks. He had gotten the image from the blood of one, maybe all of the wolves. Lina was in a crumpled heap at the base of a wall, blood leaking from a scrape on her forehead and her chest no longer moving as she breathed. It felt like the gears of a watch had been clicked together, in the wrong direction. He had been powerless to help save her after she put herself in his hands, trusting him to keep his word and keep her safe. He broke his vow to protect her. This downward spiral of thoughts seemed to drag him deeper and deeper into remorse. So strong was this self emasculating train of thought that he never heard the other gunshots or the screams, or the mad laughter coming from the other side of the hill. Behind him lay a blood bath, and as he crested the hill he the unfriendly building was in his sight. With a heavy sign he was about to descend when a feminine voice derailed his train of thought.

"I am way more awesome than I give myself credit for." He looked down to see her alive and well, relaxing against the hill and beaming up at the moon. She did not need him after all. Lina could protect herself. Silently even as he was succumbing to the poison he stood over her, just taking in the sight to see if he was imagining her.

"You're alive?" Unable to believe his eyes his voice came out in a deadpan, neutral way, not demonstrating his genuine relief. The way she was glowing with pride at saving herself, the way she smiled up at him and her eyes seemed to soften in a new way. It had been so long since someone looked at him that way.

"Yeah…did you come here to save me?" He could see the disapproval in her eyes as the words left her lips. Lina had not wanted him to be her knight in armor. It stung to know she did not want his protection. Was he that untrustworthy? Shaking his head he looked out away from her, trying to find something to distract from the pain. The toxins seemed to be focusing on his chest the most.

"No." Alucard had to salvage his pride. "I wanted to repay them for my coffin. I should have guessed they would take you though." He listened to her pained sounds, his concern coming across without his consent. "The wolves thought you were dead." His vision was swimming and the world was getting blurry and the ground beneath him less stable, his strong legs starting to feel weak. He wanted to help her stand but he could not.

"I was…" Watching her give up and lay back down he waited for her complaint at his lack of chivalry to help het stand. "…even if you didn't mean to you saved my life tonight. Thank you." Something he had done had saved her life? So he had not broken his vow to her, he had kept her safe. His word was intact and she was alive because of him. She was alive, happy and breathing instead of a forgotten corpse rotting where no one would find it…because of him. Then the poison struck him hard and he collapsed. The world dissolved into agony and unending darkness.

****(end)****

With a start Alucard realized he was once more in Carfax, having walked here in his reminiscence. Dracula was sitting on his chair and Alucard wondered if shooting the other self enough times would be enough to end this stupid dance of theirs. Dracula has sulked after the terrible news from Lina, but as Alucard came closer he noticed the gloom was only slightly lifted. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity Alucard paused beside the chair, his coffin stashed behind it in a cover of shadows. Dracula looked up, the two mens' eyes meeting even though Alucard wore his sunglasses. There was an almost imperceptible upturn to the older self's lips as he stared his newer self down.

"You woke up because when I thought Lina died I felt as weak as you did. I felt the same kind of emotions you felt. And the possibilities of her dying reminded me of Setareh." Alucards' words were crisp and to the point as the moon set and the sky slowly lightened with the encroaching sun. "And when I thought of leaving Lina for good you decided to try and redeem yourself through keeping your wedding vows made to your wife." The other man nodded solemnly, the edges of the Dracula's cape fading just a bit.

"But she is not my wife…Her heart can not belong to me, nor mine to her. I am even deader than you. Keeping my vows to honor, love, and protect is never going to bring me peace about Setareh. I have to accept that my unwillingness to keep that vow is what caused her death at my hands. I have to let it go to find peace. I will no longer force the two of you to remain together." What had brought this sudden change from Dracula?

"Does that mean you go back to 'sleep' now? Is this some grand farewell to myself." Alucard could not help but mock Dracula, smirking with his supremacy. Alucard had won it seemed in this ridiculous power struggle. "Don't let the metaphysical door hit your ass on the way out." An equally smug smirk appeared on Draculas' face.

"I do not plan to sleep just yet. I should have some fun at your expense for a while. I did not want to be dead 500 years ago, and I do not feel the need to be now." With a roll of his eyes Alucard moved to get into his coffin, a relaxed smile on his face as sleep was just with his grasp. "She really is a virgin…her blood was so sweet."

* * *

Hellsing Headquarters….10 a.m.

"Sir Integra, Iscariot wants another meeting. Anderson will once more be acting as Maxwell's proxy. However he is being a gentleman enough to let you choose a meeting place. However the meeting is taking place in January. Something about the Vatican being busy with religious matters." Walter was not going to repeat the overly offensive Catholic centric rant about Christmas and the Church of England. It was actually a pleasant day, and Integra seems to be in a more relaxed mood.

"That's all fine Walter. Thank you. How is this idiotic bet between Alucard and Lina coming along? Has any progress been made with police girl?" Integra was looking over the mission reports. The Wild Geese had been a great purchase. True, the Wild Geese are bit more expensive than normal troops, but only three casualties since they started.

"Seras has shown…no improvement at all. She is still working well out in the field with the troops, but if it was not for her diet, her weapon carrying and long distance sniping she would be any other troop." Walter has seen Lina combing through many of the books from the secret lab as she pushed Seras to do anything. He felt bad for Seras, everyone pushing her deeper into something she didn't want.

"I could care less about who wins the wager, but I want a functioning vampire other than Alucard. Lina will be reassigned to active duty. Seras is solely responsible for her safety. Any Wild Geese caught helping are to docked two months pay. Maybe if we light a fire under the police girl she will get her act together. Lina is to be unarmed for the missions. And I expect you to be the one to deal with Alucard when you go to tell him about this." Integra made it clear with her tone that it was a non-negotiable order. Walters' sympathies quickly changed to Lina. Going out unarmed into vampire infested areas with only Seras as protection, there was no way that Alucard was going to accept this. With perfectly schooled features he bowed.

"Of course Sir Integra. As soon as sun sets I will go about making the necessary arrangements. Lina should be ready for active duty in three days. The paper work for this will be on your desk tomorrow morning. And what will your lunch selection be for today?"

"A salad." Walter nodded and turned to leave the room when Integra called his attention again. "Walter, please clear my schedule for midday tomorrow. I am going out." Walter could hear the smile in her voice. It must have to do with that Vance fellow.

"What travel arrangements do I need to make for you?" Integra looked up from something she was typing on her computer.

"I would like to drive myself tomorrow." That caught Walter off guard. But it was what Sir Integra ordered.

* * *

Vance Home…..1 pm.

The ringing of a cell phone stabbed the pleasantly quiet air of Linas' soon to be ex room. Lina whined loudly as the phone kept ringing, debating if she should get out of bed naked to answer it or let it go to voice mail. With a groan she hauled herself out of bed and picked up her phone. When she saw that it was Hellsing she let it go to voicemail. Deciding to deal with it once it was no longer an actual person on the other end. Pulling on some plain white panties and a nude strapless bra Lina turned the light on and unplugged her nightlight. Black mini-shorts and a cotton purple tank followed the underwear and Lina began to pack things away. It was good she had managed to pack all of her things into the suitcases when she moved here, it was a lot easier to pack most of her things, and the boxes covered the rest. It was 6 o'clock when she finished, and the room felt so cold and empty. There were two garbage bags filled with things she was not going to need again, and she dragged them down stairs to throw out. She would have donated the clothes if they didn't have holes, but they did. With her friends off at work Lina felt alone, her room empty and her stomach grumbled. Dinner would be a nice break from unending silence. She looked through the fridge and was disappointed to find nothing she wanted to cook. She was in the mood for Chinese. That meant putting clothes on so she could go out and at least pick it up. With a groan she looked around again, settling on cooking something. She was so focused on watching water boil she never felt the chill in the air as the daunting figure moved to glare daggers at her back.

"Where did you let him bite you?" The venom in the voice was enough to make every hair stand on end. Like a deer caught in headlights she stood still, an animal instinct saying the predator would move on if it thought she wasn't there. Unfortunately Alucard was not fooled by the tactic; instead spinning her around and jerking her chin up so he could see her neck. Lina was still stiff and her heart was racing. Alucard was not being gentle; she felt his gloved hands moving over flesh to check for hidden bite marks. When his search did not find any marks he pushed her up onto the counter, and spread her thighs, looking for bites along the other large blood vessels on her body. Lina blushed and whimpered, trying to not move away from him. Once more finding nothing Alucard pulled her wrists up and checked along her inner arms. Finally he noticed the small dark, red line along her upper arm, his attitude changing slowly from ready to punish to jealous. "Your blood to good for me." He pulled away from her and Lina slowly slide back off the counter, pouring in noodles to the boiling water.

"You never asked me." Her voice was soft and timid. "He only got some because he was threatening to take it. I rather save my neck for a special occasion." A smirked came to Alucards' lips as he calmed down, pulling his gloves off and resting against the island of the kitchen.

"Have you finished packing?" His voice was smooth and devoid of his anger from earlier. Lina nodded, putting some shrimp in another pan, seasoning them, and then draining the pasta. "You are going to be disappointed when you move in. Three story home. All the walls are white and the flooring is bottom shelf selections. The kitchen and bathrooms are along those same lines." He watched her contemplate bashing her head into the cabinet before groaning as if he had just told her that she had yet another research paper to write.

"That's going to suck…" He was expecting a bit more of a reaction than that. "Oh well. It's better than what most people in my pay range can afford. At least you'll be there to liven the place up." She smiled at him and he felt like maybe he had assumed too much when expecting her to be upset about the less than rich décor. She was just happy to be with him. What on earth was wrong with this girl? "Can I at least paint my room?"

"Why are you asking?" He let his glasses slide a bit down his nose so she could see his eyes. "What do I care what you do with your space. It's my property, not some rental." She rolled her eyes at him, as if he was missing the point.

"That's why I'm asking you. It's  _your_  property. I'm trying to respect you." She put out her food and ate, watching him with a strange look on her face. "You thought I would be bummed out didn't you? Well, I'm not rich you know. Nor is my family. We are middle class. Maybe upper middle class, but that is probably a stretch. We have nice things, but my family works for it. I've lived in apartments, normal homes, and a mobile home once for half a year. The nicest place I've lived is here. So this will just be the second nicest place. Unless you are actually good company."

"What makes you think I'm poor company?"Alucard stood to his full height over her, a snide smile creeping over his features.

"The fact that you don't know how to live with someone else anymore. Sure you lived with Hellsing, but that was work, not personal. I doubt I'll be any better though. So…we can annoy the crap out of each other." Lina sounded way too happy about the chance to annoy him. She munched away on her dinner, looking at him as he closed his eyes and focused inwards. "Wait a minute…you're the one that's pissed off about the house and you wanted to make me complain to Integra so it gets fixed since she is tired of listening to you. If it makes you that unhappy just tell me you want me to do the hard shopping work and you can handle the money and contractors."

"Why do I have to deal with the contractors?" It was no question about the money.

"Because you have a penis." Lina winced as he tapped the back of her head, trying to train her to not be so vulgar. After she gave him the best death glare she could muster she 'corrected' her words. "Contractors tend to overcharge women because they think we have no clue about building things. Besides, dealing with contractors is way more time consuming and detail oriented than I really have time for. Its finals in a couple of weeks and I have papers due in half of my classes. As far as I know your schedule is filled mostly with…brooding, sleeping, being ominous and terrifying, finding something to kill….and in some way, shape, or form harassing me." She counted the activities off on her fingers, ignoring the way the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"A full day I should think. But you are right; women have no idea when it comes to constructing things. Your gender is inferior after all." That ought to set her off. If he played his cards right he could do nothing but sign checks.

"You are so right. Then you should deal with the contractors and the shopping because with my inferior judgment I could make the house look hideous. And I can continue with focusing solely on my school work." She didn't even bat an eyelash, simply taking another bite and licking the sauce off her lips. Well…seems she was picking up on his tricks. A smile crossed his lips and he felt a little proud of her for not letting him wriggle out of this.

"Splitting it down the middle it seems. Should we move your things now or later?" He wrinkled his nose at the stringent odor of the shrimp, thankful she had skipped the garlic. If he turned her she would be miserable. She ate garlic with almost everything, but she had started easing back on it.

"We move them once I have a bed, a washer and drier, and internet access at your place." She still had research papers to deal with so internet was a must. The bed was also a huge necessity. If she couldn't sleep she was going to be bitchy. Laundry could be done at a laundry mat, would just be less convenient.

"You do realize that tomorrow is Sunday. And the washer and drier are usable." What was she expecting to get done tomorrow? Most places would be closed by the time he woke up.

"You do realize that some businesses are open 7 days a week. But I would like to come see it tomorrow so I can pick out a room. Maybe help you start on the basics so there is less work for the contractors." She was actually excited about this. She was going to be in charge of decorating an entire house! She could make it so wonderful. "You can rip up the carpeting and I can start trying to picture the spaces so I know what to put in the house. This is going to be fun, don't you think?" With a smile Lina kissed him and started to clean the dishes.

"Why is this going to be fun? It sounds like I'm going to be doing most of the manual labor you have in mind." Alucard held in his smile as she kissed him, watching her hips sway as she scrubbed the pots and plate.

"I would help, but you know, I'm an inferior woman, weak and helpless. Incapable of anything on my own or with a task that requires muscle." She gave him her best overly dramatic pout over her shoulder, fluttering her eyelashes and trying to be overly girly.

"Somehow you sneaky females turned your oppression into a blessing. Maybe I should start making you work like a man." Alucard used his shadow to smack her ass, chuckling as she jumped and nearly shattered the plate she was washing.

"I like being a woman thank you very much." Lina put her head up in her best snooty look, putting the plate in the rack to dry. Raising an eyebrow Alucard came up behind her, pressing his body against hers and pinning her to the counter.

"You aren't a woman yet. As far as I'm concerned you're just a very naughty girl." Blood rushed to Linas' cheeks at the husky tone in his voice, and with no resistance she let her mind wander back to the car and she felt herself starting to warm. Leaning down she mewled softly as his cold wet tongue ran along the pillar of her throat, and she almost hoped he would just bite her. A knock at the door made her slowly pull away, leaving her disappointed but relieved. Wiping her hands dry she went to the door, Alucard having already answered it. She noticed Walter standing there with some paperwork and a suit case. She probably should have checked her voice mail. The two men were talking, but she couldn't make out what they were saying it was so low under their breath. Knowing the vampire he was probably using telepathy for most of the conversation. Alucard slammed the door shut in Walter's face and Lina winced, hoping nothing had happened to the door.

Lina had somehow pushed Alucard to the side to speak to Walter, and wished she could slam the door on the old man as well. As of now, her life was in the hands of…Seras. Maybe Alucard should bite her…if just for safe keeping. But did it work if you were eaten alive by ghouls? She sat on the couch in the living room, staring at the suit case and fiddling with the locks as Walter and Alucard seemed to be having the world's most polite cussing fight. Both men had calm collected tones but the actual words used in the conversation would make deaf people blush with how shameful it was. Lina had looked over the paperwork and had been stunned into silence. Unarmed in ghoul territory, she may as well be a human sacrifice. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes but she didn't let them fall. For the big show Lina put up, even though she had past lives…death frightened her. It haunted her and tormented her more than anything else in this world. Because sure there was existence after this…but would she be conscious? Would she continue to think, to recognize herself in the vast expanse of eternity? Or would she only be another life time for the next re-incarnation? What if there was no next life time? What if after she died it would be an eternity of darkness in which she would not know she had existed and by not knowing she existed she would then since to exist and be dead in more than just her body. What would become of her? Was it better to not be awake and rest in darkness or would she be dragged to hell for murder and kept awake by unending agony? And if it meant she would be awake would hell really be that bad? Because never existing again is surely worse than any torture that could be done to her, right? As this dark pattern of thoughts chased each other around in her mind she felt like a weight had settled in her heart and her chest constricted, her throat dry and her tongue felt like it was too thick. She was so trapped in the downward whirlpool of doubt, despair, and helplessness she never noticed that Walter had left and Alucard had sat beside her.

Growling and giving out an unneeded huff that flared his nostrils Alucard sat down with a heavy thump in the sofa next to Lina, expecting her to say something. When no response came he spared a glace from the corner of his eyes. With her head low he could see how frail she appeared, and her shoulders trembled slightly. Arching an eyebrow he moved his hand in front of her face, passing it back and forth in her line of vision and smirking as she gave no reaction. The moon had him in a mischievous mood. Slowly creeping closer he licked his lips, planning on refocusing her attention on him. Suddenly Lina was violently smacking the palms of her hands into the sides of her head, shaking her head from side to side as she hit herself, whimpering and whining like a dying dog.

"Stop it stop it stop it! No more! I don't want to think about it anymore! Bad thoughts! Go away! Go Away! Stop thinking about it! Stop it! Ahhh!" She had started throwing her body backwards into the couch as she smacked her head, her eyes shut tight as she just started to make sounds in her manic display. Before she could smash her skull into the wall Alucard grabbed her and yanked her up by her wrists into the air, letting her thrash and kick for a few moments before she calmed down, staring at him with a shamed expression on her face.

"You're crazy, aren't you?" His tone was humorless, just as flat as his stare and Lina dropped her gaze to the floor.

"I don't want to die." That was the only answer she could give him.

* * *

Hell Heart Club…11:48 pm

Matt was in his office, looking over the expense reports from last month before approving them for the books. The walls of the sound proofed office were vibrating slightly from the base pumping through the speakers and of course the multitude of people dancing on both floors. The guys were out in the club, leaving Matt blissfully alone. After reading through the reports and finding nothing out of place he signed off on them, setting them aside to be entered into the accounting books. With no paperwork left to be filed Matt found himself looking at the business card Integra had given him. The card was plain white, only a phone number under the single silver embossed cross on the card. It was her direct office line. Only in case of an emergency and he needs to contact her. A smile crossed his lips. Hopefully he would never the card, but it was a way to reach her. Standing up from his desk he stretched out and took off his tie, opening just the first few buttons on his black dress shirt. Running his fingers through his neatly brushed hair Matt made it slightly more relaxed and sloppy. Satisfied that he looked a bit more at home in the crowd of sweaty dancers and drunken partiers. As he was making his way to start putting in face time in the VIP section Kyle intersected him, dragging him off towards the office.

"We have a problem. The bouncers said that there is this guy bothering some of the ladies in here, and every time they throw him out he seems to show up right behind them back inside the club. So the bouncers all grabbed him and threw him out back and were ready to get the point across that he isn't welcome. He started trash talking our guys, and since he looks so small they figured he needed the knuckle escort but suddenly he broke Harrison's arm and locked them all outside of the club." Kyle shut the office door behind them, turning to Matt. " He is down at the bar harassing the girls and when I went to handle him myself he just stared at me with these red eyes. I think this wankers' a vampire. If you have any way to reach that girlfriend of yours do it, because this guy is starting to try and drag the ladies out of the club. Steve, the bouncers and I will try to stall him, but I think he might be getting ready to feed. Seth is calling Lina to try and get Alucard in here." Matt nodded and quickly dashed over to the phone, pulling out Integra's card and dialing the number as Kyle dashed back downstairs.

"This is a restricted line, who is this?" Matt nearly groaned, figured that the butler that disliked him would be the one to pick up the phone.

"I need to speak with Sir Integra, we have a vampire problem." The phone was set down and he could hear some commotion on the other side before Integra's voice calm answered him.

"What is the problem?" Her voice was strong and it sounded like nothing could faze her.

"Sir Integra it's me, Matt Vance. We think there is a vampire trying to feed off the girls in the club. He already broke one of my bouncer's arms and is trying to get the girls out of the club. Kyle said he has red eyes and Seth is trying to get a hold of Lina so they can get Alucard in here. That's how certain we are that we need your help." Matt spoke as clearly as he could without letting her hear the panic in his voice. His instincts were screaming for him to go downstairs and handle this like a man, but his logic was winning out, for now.

"Keep the vampire busy for 20 minutes; we have a unit in the area. Do not let Alucard engage. He will not restrain himself even if there are civilians around. It is best if he is kept out of this all together. Try to get the vampire outside so civilians will not be caught in the cross fire." The line hung up and Matt put the phone down before pulling out his gun from the desk drawer and tucking it into the waistband of his jeans as he took the stairs two at a time, seeing the group around the bar and pushing his way to the front. The vampire was indeed weak looking, but looks had nothing to do with this. Brute strength was hidden inside of this monster. With sickly yellow hair that was limp, weighed down by the dirt, oil, and grime, while the man's pasty and doughy looking complexion was reflecting the lights from the bar. The whites of the man's eyes were almost the same sickly color yellow as the man's hair, but the red eyes were bright and glowing in the low lighting of the club. Pale, blue cracked lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs in a rotting mouth, the smell of death and blood reeking off this man's breath. The girls trailing along behind him could only be there through mind control, no woman would willingly touch this scumbag. Matt's green eyes locked with the red demonic orbs but did not flinch, instead a determination roared into his heart.

"Sir. We are going outside to have a little 'discussion' about your behavior." Matt made sure to flash the butt of his gun, the red eyes seeing it and those horrible lips creaking into a smirk.

"Guns don't scare the likes of me. I'm like fucking superman. But killing you might be fun before I fuck and suck these dumb bitches dry." The girls in question had glazed looks in their eyes, none even responding to the news of imminent death. Matt grabbed the vampire by the collar and tossed him towards the employee exit behind the bar, pushing until he slammed the vampire into the bricks of the building across the back alley.

"And I'm not scared of you." Matt spit in the vampires' face, pulling his hands off the tattered clothes of the vampire. Turning as if to head back inside Matt felt a tingle go up his spine and instinctually his hand balled into a fist, spinning on the balls of his feet to face the vampire as it pounced towards his throat. Matt felt like everything was in slow motion, but to his awestruck friends and the bouncers it was barely longer than the blink of an eye. Matt's right fist collided with the side of the vampires' jaw in a sucker punch that sent the monster off to the side, clutching his jaw and trying to set the hinge joint once more. Matt winced at the pain from hitting the cold flesh, but shook it off, his left hand pulling the gun and aiming it at the monster as it staggered to its feet barely a few paces away. "Jumping a man with his back turned you filthy grave banger. Have some sense of bloody honor you shit." The blond man gave a huff, wiping some blood from the corner of its mouth and licking it back up with a sick slurping sound.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this." With another quick shift of its feet the vampire jumped towards Matt, hands outstretched and even though that warning tingle passed through his body Matt could not side step, ending up on the filthy alleyway as his hands wrestled to keep the vampires' fangs from tearing into his neck while his shoulders were pinned, sharp claw like nails biting into the flesh of his shoulders. Suddenly the blond man was off of him and Matt rolled to his feet, finding Kyle standing over where he had been pinned, a metal pipe in hand. Steve was close behind, armed with the old metal lid of one of the garbage cans in the alley. Seth was there, helping Matt up and handing the gun back, telling the bouncers to get back in the club and keep everyone inside. A lunge towards Kyle was sent off course when a loud bang went off, the bullet hitting the vampire in the ribs, the moment of pain and the gun fire giving Kyle enough time to swing the pipe like a base ball bat. The sound of the metal connecting with the vampire was a dull thud, the blond man snarling in annoyance, spitting up blood and digging out the bullet from his ribs, flicking it to the ground. Seth had grabbed another lid, Steve and Seth flanking Matt and Kyle. "Who the fuck do you guys think you are huh? Vampire hunters?"

"Thez are not. But we are." The blond man turned to find ten men in swat gear pointing guns at him. A man with a long strawberry blond braid wrapped around his throat was wearing the same standard issued riot mask, but he pulled the trigger first, the vampire turning to run but the slug smashed through his skull. Blood splattering to the pavement before the body turned to ash, puffing out of the now empty clothes that fluttered to the ground. Quickly the other men rushed forward with buckets of water, but as the water was dumped over the ashes the ashes burst into flames and were gone. Pulling off his riot mask the man in charge walked over, extending his hand to Matt and the others. "Itz zeems that you did not need our help after all. Lookz like you had him on ze ropes. Zir Hellsing will be glad to know it was a succezzful misson." The guys shook hands with the French man, watching as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Captain Pip Bernadotte." The guys introduced themselves to him, Matt getting the scratches documented for the case work that would be filed as the Hellsing team packed up and got ready to leave.

* * *

Mary Our Mother….Sunday 8:45 am

As the children filed out of the pews in the chapel Father Anderson was standing behind the alter with Sean. They were performing the duties that would normally be an alter boy's because none of the children volunteered. Once the last child and nun had left the room Anderson turned to Sean, a gentle smile on the man's face that hides the fanatic side of his behavior.

"Ye did a wonderful job preparing the sermon 'or today, should have joined the priesthood sooner. Ye 'ave a way of making the lessons easy 'or the young ones to grasp." Sean nodded and smiled back, keeping his mind diligently focused on the task of cleaning.

"Thank you Father, but I don't deserve any praise." Sean ignored the pain as his fingers sizzled from cleaning the silver ornaments, using the pain as a sort of physical mantra to keep the evil inside of him at bay. Anderson put a pair of cloth gloves into Sean's hands, the silent message coming across clear. They were going on a mission that required the beast and not him. Sean pocketed the gloves for the moment. "When do we leave?" There was a glint in the priests' eyes that always unnerved Sean.

"The vampire 'as been very predictable. 'e feeds every three days, tonight 'e and 'is ghouls will be resting. We wait ti'l he 'unts and then we banish 'ese demons ter eternal hellfire. " It was going to be a slaughter then. "As 'or the progress on our 'unt 'or the vampire Alucard. Our spy is keeping an eye out 'or when 'e is on a mission where we can 'ave our chance to end 'is wretched existence." Hearing the vampire's name sent shivers of fear down Sean's spine, the memory of the blood bath the one man cause making him sick to his stomach. How could he have let himself get dragged that far into hell to meet Satan on earth? Lina. He had let himself go crazy for her, and she was the siren of madness. She was truly an evil woman. Lina had led him down the path of damnation into the hands of the devil. Truly she had been the devils whore, and he should feel no guilt over her death. But he did feel the twinge of remorse. Anderson told him it was because her death had been for himself, not for the glory of heaven and the triumph of God.

"Has any head way been made in how to possibly banish this monster from me? I know that it has uses in these hunts…but I worry about my soul being forced to mingle to long with this curse." Sean had become more devote that he had ever been in his life. Seeing the things he had at Anderson's side, the monsters and demons hiding in the dark, he could understand why Lina had never slept well without a night light. "When one sees what lurks in the dark one wishes to never be without the light again."

"I am searching 'or a way to help ye truly rejoin the flock lad. When I can exercise the wolf from yer flesh ye can transfer from Iscariot and maybe take up duties like the o'es 'ere." Despite the paladin being the single best exorcist the church had, no one had ever tried to save the human side of a werewolf and it was taking time to search though the Vatican's vast sources to see if any such way existed.

"Thank you Father, for showing me mercy."

* * *

Hellsing Headquarters…2 pm

Despite how tired Seras was she could not sleep. She was panicking about her new duties. Lina was in no condition for field missions, and her life rested completely in Seras's hands. The fledgling vampire felt sick to her stomach. Alucard was going to do horrible things if she failed. Sitting up in her coffin she walked to the rest room and splashed cold water over her face, trying to calm down. Why did her life have to be so horrible? She still had yet to be able to crawl up a wall, and this added stress was not helping. With a sigh she sat down in her coffin once more, rubbing her temples. Failing to find sleep Seras got up and turned the light on in her room, getting dressed and ready to go upstairs and find something to keep herself occupied, or she could go down to the lover levels and keep practicing till she can do something…anything and hopefully get Lina out of active duty. Her feet lead her down to the lowest levels of the manor and she kept the lights off, enjoying how relaxing it was to her eyes to not have to deal with the illumination. Seras had started to notice that being around lights hurt her eyes more and more the longer she was an undead, and she found herself sometimes wondering just how painful the lights must be to her master. Was that why he wore the sunglasses? To shield him from the pain?

Seras faced the wall, looking up at the ceiling and getting a determined glint in her eyes. Removing her gloves Seras placed her hands on the stones, feeling the chill, the texture, and the small tingles of the energy from the earth on the other side of the stones. Taking a deep breath Seras slowly let her fingers learn the stones as she caressed then, and she found slight ledges and slowly she let her hands move up the stones firmly, and she just let everything go, her feet naturally finding the places her fingers had, and she started to try and pull her body up and keep herself from sliding back down. Seras made it half way up the wall, a few inches higher than the day before when she lost her connection with the stones and skidded down the wall, hissing in pain as her skin was rubbed raw by the rough stones, the palms of her hands, thighs, and knees bleeding slightly from the abrasions. With a sigh she stopped to bandage herself up, waiting for the natural healing to take place so she could try again. She was not a regenerator like her master, or even Anderson, but it would only be an hour or two before the skin was as good as new. Laying back she relaxed against the floor, trying to get that connection back with the stones and maintain it so she could climb. Lina was nicer than her master when it came to this, but she felt that Lina could only give her so much, because Lina did not know what being a vampire was like. An idea hit her like a bolt of lightning. In the laboratories surrounding her were piles of books devoted to vampire research. The vampire they had been studying had been her master, one might be able to shine some light on how his powers worked, and then she can figure it out from there. Standing up she went through the labs, all of the doors were unlocked since Integra had not locked them after her search for something down here. She tried skimming titles but that gave her no help, so she just had to thumb through them carefully, looking for something that was at her level.

So many of these books were about the most effective methods to kill monsters, how to block their powers, how to detect them, and of course what to use as effective hunting methods. Seras had no idea there was even this many kinds of monsters. Surprisingly she had yet to find something about vampires; so far it was about smaller things like the shadow creatures that she had exterminated down here in this room. After finding nothing fruitful she moved to another room, finding still other monsters. Her wounds had healed, and she gave up the search for now and once more tried to crawl up the wall and get to the ceiling to crawl upside down, and eventually she would need to walk upright like her master did. Seras pushed herself to make it further up the wall than last time, digging her fingers in when she felt herself starting to slip.

"Police girl, you aren't supposed to crawl up a rock wall, you need to walk up. Any human can crawl and climb, a vampire walks, defies gravity because we are above the laws god has made." Her master's voice caused Seras to lose her grip, falling flat on her back and looking up at Alucard. "Police girl. You do know that if you fail, Sir Integra will be the last of your worries." His voice was so calm, that's when she knew his threats were the most serious. Seras nodded her understanding, ignoring the cuts and scrapes for now.

"Yes my Master. I understand."

**End Chapter.**


	28. Settling

In the city of London….Sunday at noon

Matt straightened his tie for the tenth time as he waited for Integra to show up to the little restaurant. A soft chuckle came from behind him. He could smell Integra's perfume and turned to look up at her as she stood behind him, her dress was a nice sundress that was tasteful, but still showed off her figure. He felt under dressed in his navy blue casual shirt and black jeans.

"Do I make you that nervous?" Integra smiled as he stood up quickly and pulled out her seat.

"No, I made myself nervous; I still think that your butler is going to kill me. " He joked as he took his seat once more, rolling his shoulders which were still in pain and trying to relax.

"He has no orders to kill you." They shared a small laugh, but now Matt was actually worried about exactly what kind of person the older man was. "I heard you fought off the vampire before my troops arrived. Going against my orders, you could have been killed." Picking up the menu she looked for something that was interesting.

"I'm touched by your concern for me. But you can't give me orders yet." Integra raised an eyebrow at his statement, smirking.

"Do you want me to give you orders?" She asked with a smile and leaned closer to him, watching him blush slightly before leaning in closer, their eyes meeting through their glasses.

"I don't see why not, might be fun. Having a beautiful woman like you bossing me around is kind of kinky. I like it." Integra blushed, backing off first, but a smile still on her lips. "So…besides my lack of discipline what do you think about me and the guys holding that vampire off?" He wanted her to be impressed; he wanted her to like him as much as he admired her. He set his hands on the table, his bandaged knuckles exposed to her instead of him hiding them.

"I still think it was idiotic." Integra reached across the table to brush her hand over his, enjoying the spark that passed between them and the warmth of his skin. "How did you hurt your hand?" He let her touch his hand, not wincing as she touched the bruised flesh covered by the bandage to help keep the knuckles from getting damaged even more.

"Well, breaking a vampire's jaw took a bit of effort. Just lucky it's only a sprain with dislocation and not any fractures or breaks." Her eyes widened a bit, looking at Matt in a whole new light.

"You actually fought hand to hand with a vampire?" No one but Alucard and Walter even attempted such things, and even then only Walter had much to lose.

"No, just the first punch, the guys helped, we used a pipe, my gun, and some rubbish bin lids to keep the blood sucker at bay. The freak had me pinned to the ally floor, trying to rip my throat out as I wrestled to keep him away from my throat. Then he got hit off of me and shortly after your people arrived and finished him off. I think me and the boys could have taken him." He couldn't help bragging just a bit, flexing his muscles in his arms slightly. She noticed his bragging and let him enjoy it, her hand still on his injured one as she examined it.

"Well, maybe I should draft you boys to work for me. We need to keep tabs on the inhuman population; nightclubs like yours tend to attract the ones that cause problems. You just keep tabs on the undesirable ones, and we clean them up." Why couldn't she stop thinking about Hellsing for two minutes and focus on her own relationships with the world. Integra already knew the answer. Hellsing's mission was her only real relationship to the world.

"So you want to be my boss?" He winked at her, placing his hand over hers, the feel of his hands making her feel like maybe she could still have a personal life. Integra could only laugh at his point, their conversation making its round of circular logic.

"I thinking giving you orders would be fun."

* * *

Alucard's Town Home…Sunday 7:30 pm

Lina was looking around the town house, smirking as she took in the amount of things that had been accomplished today. After her little episode last night Alucard had kept her under his watch, and had taken her to the town home last night so she could have something to drown out her thoughts with. Going through every room Lina had claimed two rooms as her own. The master bedroom she had given to Alucard, even if he was not ever going to really use it, and somehow managed to convince Alucard to turn three of the rooms into guest rooms. They still needed to decide on the other extra spaces, but for now the important rooms had been decided on. Her boots made muted sounds as she walked on the stripped floors. Alucard had gone through and eagerly ripped up all the carpeting, leaving the bare bottom for when they had the home owners' representative coming the next day. Alucard was not exactly happy about having to be up during the day, but he wanted his home to be in order. Most of the home had been gutted; the only furniture that had stayed was the bed for her to sleep on and the door to the basement. Both had decided that they would have someone else manage the different contractors so they could focus on other things. Lina was stressing about her finals and the bet, and Alucard…well he just wanted to not deal with it. With a few cans of spray paint in hand Lina went to one of the extra rooms, opening the window and decided to have some fun. Her lap top was playing her YouTube playlist of upbeat music and she shook a can of yellow paint. She picked a wall and made a large oval, and then she picked up the black paint and did her best to make the bat silhouette on the yellow oval, giggling to herself.

"Dana-nana-nana-nana-Batman…." She looked at the wall, admiring her handy work. This room was one of the undecided rooms, and since Alucard had seemed so done with everything she figured he would not mind her playing around.

"Why must I consistently wrestle your attention away from other men? All of them imaginary." He was watching her with a bored expression from the doorway. She jumped a bit as his deep voice resonated in the space. Turning around to face him she smiles, shrugging her shoulders.

"They said you were imaginary too. But there you are." She giggled at her own little remark, but frowned as she noticed her own logical gap. "Well…not imaginary, cause you obviously exist in the historical record, just not still around…like as a vampire…" She figured to quit while she was ahead, turning back to the collection of spray paints and trying to think of something else to graffiti the walls with. He had not scolded her so she was going to push her luck…maybe he would spank her. A light blush covered her cheeks.

"So are you waiting on a better option? Is that what you are saying? You like the hero better than the monster?" He was watching her carefully. She looked up at him considering his words for a moment or two before shaking her head with a small sad smile. Picking up a few cans of paint she walked over, pressing the can into his palm.

"I never once thought, nor do I think you are a monster. You can be pompous, arrogant, narcissistic, deranged, brutal, heartless, and downright demonic." She blushes more and she gets up on her toes, but still she is too short and he leans down, watching carefully as she lightly presses her lips to his. "But to me you are a man, and sometimes you are even the hero." She walked to the wall opposite the batman symbol and shook the can in her hand, trying her best to mimic the "why so serious?" from the newest joker. Alucard looked down at the can in his hand, smirking and going over to the wall with the batman symbol, kneeling down as he made his own artistic contribution. He picked a few of the cans, adding details much too delicate for any human to make with the awkward cans. Lina admired her other contribution, pleased with herself that it came out so well even with her poor abilities. Turning around to see what Alucard was doing, she felt worthless as she looked at the cute little smiling bat and the scroll underneath it, and the wonderful penmanship of the familiar Hellsing phrase. "Why do you date me again?"

"Because it's a nice change of pace from all the beautiful women I've been romantic with." He flashed Lina an overly toothy grin. "I've never dated someone that was willing to murder a person before I turn them. Or suck my cock like it was a lollipop." He looked at her horrified expression, bursting into a peel of dark laughter at her expense. Lina held back tears at his harsh joke. She knew she was maybe a 6 at best, but he didn't have to be so cruel. "Oh? You're the only one that gets to insult in this house are you? Can't handle your own medicine?"

"At least I had something nice to say about you after I was done." She pouted. Turning her back to him and trying to pretend like she was focused on the empty spaces on the wall, as if she was trying to think of what else could fill the white voids. Alucard chuckled behind her, moving to the blank wall. Lina could hear the paint hitting the wall, not turning around to spite him. When he was finished Alucard set the can down, shaking his head at his own response before willing his red apparel to him, putting the glasses on as the comforting weight of his guns dragged the pockets down. Walking up behind her, Alucard pulled out her gun from her Indiana Jones costume and tucked it into her pocket.

"I don't care what your orders are. Carry something with you. I'll be home at dawn." He walked away, locking the home before wandering out into the night, his desire to hunt and to feed driving him to find the heart of the worst areas of London. When Lina was sure he was gone she turned to look at the last piece he added to the room, freezing on the spot in shock. It was a pink heart. True it was pierced by an arrow and bleeding more than necessary, but it was a pink heart, the most clichéd romantic symbol in all of history. And it was on the wall, because he put it there. Lina walked over, smiling like an idiot at the heart, wanting to add their initials and realizing how horrible it would be if she ruined his heart with her sloppy serial killer chicken scratch that would be too large and blocky and would wipe the heart out. Looking at the paint cans she sighed, wishing that she was able to do something at least half as good as he could. She set them down and left the room, the paint fumes making her head spin. Closing the door she walked down stairs to the living room, getting started on her homework. When she found she couldn't focus she gave up, deciding to get some sleep.

"It's not like he meant that he loves me. Just that he cares about me." Her heart was beating erratically, and all of her past lives that had had contact with him romantically were jabbering up a storm, some threatening retribution for her getting his affections and others just happy that she had the chance of happiness. Lina ignored the others, floating on a cloud. She changed into a night dress and went downstairs into the basement where Alucard's coffin was resting. Her bed was pressed against the back corner of the space; his coffin was against the wall across from where her headboard was. She went to curl up in her bed, thankful that Alucard had agreed to let her keep a night light while in this room. If not for the light it would be pitch black and she could not handle that. She tried to get comfortable but no matter what she did or how she turned she could not. "Count? Are you awake?" She sounded much more childlike than she had hoped.

"I am…" Lina tried not to cringe as the coffin lid creaked open, a shadowy mass rising from its insides and taking shape to show the count, his armor gone and he was in a simple pair of linen pants and a tunic on, his hair down and she felt so guilty for finding him hot after Alucard had just drawn that heart upstairs. "Having trouble sleeping in a new place." He was stating it. Lina nodded, and he chuckled, sitting on the edge of her bed and poking at her bun.

"Does he mean it?" Lina blinked in confusion as she heard her own voice speak. That had not been what she wanted to say. She had wanted to answer a simple yes. Dracula stroked his beard in thought, smirking a bit, moving closer to her.

"He'll be home in 10 hours, ask him then." She pulled her limbs closer as he moved in, a predatory glint in his eyes. She knew he was not going anywhere, but his intentions towards her now where questionable at best.

"What is it like when you turn?" She had wanted company, but he was a bit to menacing for her to handle without her safety net. He understood her game, smirking as he moved closer, enjoying the fact that he could chill her even through her thick blankets.

"I do not know. I was not a fledgling. Seras would be the one to ask if you are considering being bitten." He licked his fangs, the porcelain whites shining in the darkness.

"When he bit Seras did he get her memories?" He raised an eyebrow at her question, leaning over her, leaving her no escapes as she pressed herself into the wall.

"No. Virgins become new vampires because their soul stays in their body, their moral fiber is like a spiritual rope tethering their soul to their flesh. The assaulting vampire can taste the emotions of their victim, but the memories stay with the soul." Callused finger tips stroked along the major artery in her throat, pressing into her flesh just a bit. "Why? Worried that your memories might embarrass you?" Lina would have let out a sigh of relief if an extremely sexual male was not pinning her against the wall while she was in her nightgown.

"More like worried that if he drank my blood and gained my memories he would get bored of me cause he would know everything about me." Dracula softened his position, letting her take a deep breath. "And I'm still freaked out about this whole field agent thing I guess…what if I freeze up the minute I see a ghoul…what if I can't focus enough to actually shoot…what if I get separated from Seras and…" She dropped her head into her hands, shaking her head as she covered her eyes. She felt Dracula shift off the bed, looking up at him.

"Get dressed and bring your weapon. I will give you some real world experience. If you believe me capable of protecting you that is." His armor materialized around him, a sturdy blade in its sheath at his hip. Lina smiled, getting up and going up to her soon to be room to find something she could wear. Lina settled for black jeans, a black thermal top with her army print hooded vest thrown on top. She wore her running shoes, hoping they would be right for this kind of thing. She found the gun holster and even grabbed the whip, hoping the stuff she had rubbed on it was still going to work. She grabbed the extra clips, slipping them into the zipper pockets of her hoodie. Down stairs Dracula was waiting, looking her over and shrugging his shoulders. "That is only appropriate if you don't get into a close range battle. Be wary of their mouths, getting bitten by a ghoul will affect you, even if you are a virgin. You'll never become a proper vampire. They also don't have any self sustaining instincts, so garlic won't deter them."

"That's why you're there, to bail me out when I get to that point of failure." She smiled up at him, giving him a playful wink. Dracula draped an arm around her, his red cloak wrapping around her, her vision going black as he pulled her against his armored chest, everything melting around her and she felt vertigo as she was floating in blackness but could still hear the roar or movement around her in the shadowy bog she was in. After the motion stopped; her watch the only thing that told her it had been less than an hour. The ground was solidly under her feet once more, gravity pulling on her and she dropped onto her knees, cradling her head and trying her best not to get sick. Dracula looked down at her, smirking a bit as she reacted to the shadow travel. They were at a local vampire infestation that had yet to be reported to Hellsing. It usually took a few days before enough missing persons reports were filed to get Hellsing's attention. He could sense his younger self already hunting in the area. There was a small group of ghouls feeding on a victim. This would be harsh, but if she was to survive, better see the worst while she was with him than alone. He reached down, pulling her up by her arm and walking briskly in the direction of the ghouls, not taking care to be silent. The ghouls were crouched around a body, the ground around them soaked in blood as they ate the flesh, the sickening crunch of bones, cartilage and muscle resonating. The smell of the corpses was overpowering, even for her under sensitive sense of smell, and Lina almost lost her cookies right there. The smell of ghouls was one of the reasons Dracula had never bothered with the miserable creatures. "Oh sweet god…I've never smelt anything this foul…" The sound of her voice made the rotting ghouls turn their faces in her direction. Every drop of blood in her body froze as their grotesque images where forever burned into her mind. Red lights glowed from where there should have been eyes, the sockets hallow and bleeding, and yet those lights shone and burned into her, the lights of hell when the soul was stolen. Her breathing stopped. The mandible and maxilla where fully exposed and the flesh on the cheeks were dangling from sinew and small clusters of tissue that had yet to be damaged. Teeth were missing, broken and sharpened from the voracious way the ghouls had consumed the flesh of their kill. The flesh around their mouths had been stripped bare because of how ruthless they were in their feeding, their hands in a similar state of decay, the distal phalanges of the fingers all exposed and honed from ripping flesh apart. The victim they were feeding from had its limbs ripped off, bites riddling the discarded pieces as they had honed in on destroying the rib cage to get to the warmest blood and meat. This was far worse than any zombie movie…it was real. Slowly the ghouls rose to their feet, eager to consume a fresher kill. Dracula could see that she was terrified beyond reaction, her survival instinct overwhelmed by the cognitive horror before her.

Rotting hands were outstretched and suddenly they were charging with their full speed towards her. Dracula gave off no body heat so they were unaware of his presence. He pulled out his blade and stepped in front of her, letting out a laugh as he wielded his blade single handedly. With a quick slash the blade had moved so cleanly through the necks of the ghouls that it was only the sound of metal gliding through the air before the bodies thumped to the floor at his feet, bursting into ash a few seconds later, the only proof of them was the torn, bloody clothes they had left behind. Looking over his blade he took pride in the fact the cuts had been so clean that the blade was still spotless, no blood on it at all. The smell of saline came to him and he turned, seeing Lina curled up and crying into her knees, rocking back and forth. Kneeling he reached out, carefully lifting her chin and looking into her eyes.

"You have five minutes to get over this, then we are going to try again, and this time you have to at least fire one shot." Alucard's voice interrupted what Dracula had been about to say. Lina turned around looking up at Alucard, nodding her head and sobbing hysterically to work the terror from her system. Dracula stood up, smirking over the crying girl as Alucard stalked closer. Alucard figured that his other self had heard about the stupid little drawing practice. The older knight bowed and faded out, the shadows merging with Alucards' own. "We should have just done this at the start of the evening. It would have saved him the trouble of waking up and dragging you out here." He walked around her, leaning down to check the body, or what was left of it. The heart had been ripped out and eaten, so leaving the body here to decompose was not a problem. He heard her wiping her tears away and standing on shaky legs, her hand gripping the leather whip for a sense of security.

"Does the body have a wallet?" Her voice was still small but at least she did not stutter. He turned around to look at her moving his finger in a come here motion and watching as she leaped over the ash pile, trying to act like this did not affect her. Her eyes remained locked on his hat. She always had problems with eyes contact, not just with him but with everyone. She was not looking at the victim, and she held her hand over her mouth and nose.

"Pick pocketing are we?" Still kneeling by the corpse he looked up at her. She shook her head, working up the courage to actually face the carnage that was literally strewn about.

"If there is an ID then we can at least give the family closure that this person is dead." Standing he moved aside so she would have to look at the victim. Lina flinched, swallowing hard as she tried to avoid gagging. Even if the wallet was here he would not have bothered with it. Hellsing or the police would have to deal with this.

"How can this bother you but when you butcher someone it's like a kid at Christmas?" A light slap to his arm was his answer, her eyes locked on the body as she tried to desensitize herself to this.

"Because the priest and those other men deserved it. But this…this person…I don't know if they deserved this...they had to feel everything before they finally died. The impression of all their pain, all their emotions…..it's here and I can feel it." She shivered, rubbing her arms to keep the chills off. With a nod he walked back towards where he had come from, listening as she came after him. "Thank you for the he-"

"Don't tell anyone. I still have a reputation. It's not a promise of forever, but for now it's there. Just enjoy it while you have it. And it is not love; it's more of a….amicable tolerance for your existence." No room for argument, the subject is closed, he was not talking about it and she was to have no expectations beyond the fact that for now it was what is between them. A giggle erupted from her as she tried to keep up with his strides.

"I was going to say help. I appreciate that you are helping me get ready for field missions. There is no way I could survive if my time with Seras was my first seeing this." A contented, small smile was turning up the corner of her lips, her eyes soft as she looked up at him. Her hand reached out to brush his; and when he did not make any negative reaction she held his. "I amicably tolerate you too by the way." A quick bow of the head and the feeling his thumb brushing the back of her hand before it was pulled away was all the recognition he gave her statement. The sound of ghouls groaning out replaced the symphony of crickets. Pulling out two lustrous guns as Alucard moved into the gates of the cemetery. Lina pulled her gun out too, nearly plastering herself against his side. Shadows reached up and grasped her feet, holding her in place as he moved into the misty graveyard and even in his bright red coat and hat he melded with the shadows. She wanted to call out for him to let her go but she did not want to bring attention to herself. The shadows let go and she knew what he wanted, she had to make it through the graveyard alive.

This was a real life game of Left 4 Dead or Castlevania. Shit. With a sigh she made sure the safety was off and tried to creep through the graveyard, Alucard had gone to the left, and even though she wanted to follow him like a lost puppy her survival instincts were screaming that he would make her walk directly into the horde of ghouls. She ignored the tears running down her cheeks silently, needing to focus on the task at hand.

The mist that was rolling in was a bit too thick for her comfort, mostly because it put her at the largest disadvantage. The only shapes she could make out with the moonlight were the crosses and angels that adorned the tombstones. Angels were a twisted joke in this kind of situation. She tried to be as silent as possible, stopping to listen to the sounds around her. Her only advantage besides the fact that Alucard might save her was that their glowing eyes acted like headlights in the fog, giving her time to see the glow and head away from it. Gunshots rang out from the left side of the graveyard, and she could hear many of the ghouls going silent. But the remaining ghouls on her side were suddenly very aware of movements and were heading towards her. If she survived this she was going to smack him upside the head. The first ghoul was easy to see, which meant that she was like a giant glowing chicken to them. She moved away from it in hopes that she could just lose it and avoid needing to fire her gun so the other ghouls wound not find her, but then the ghoul was making so much noise she had no choice. Nearby ghouls were gathering behind the first one, meaning that if she didn't start cutting their numbers they would surround her and she would get ripped to shreds. Butting her back against a tall headstone she fired at the first ghoul, hitting the shoulder and doing very little beyond that. She knew she needed to get moving but if she didn't kill one she wouldn't make it. She somehow steadied her aim and it smashed into the ghoul's eye, the only point she could accurately see in the fog. Momentarily the ghoul stopped, making a strange yelping sound before it started towards her again with the other ghouls in tow. With a cuss she darted around the headstone and tried to stay in as open an area as possible. If there were no corners for the ghouls to hide behind then they could not grab her by surprise.

"Alucard! My bullets can't kill these things! And I'm not getting close enough for one on one combat!" The ghouls already knew she was here, not like it mattered anymore if she made noise. She fired a shot at a ghoul heading towards her, trying to blow the knee cap out so it would at least cripple the fucking thing, maybe the others would trip over it. It made the creature jerk and fall, getting trampled by its brothers but it eventually rose again. No response came and she huffed, using a burst of energy to sprint up a hill, putting the gun away and unwinding the whip. The crack of the whip rang out as she tried to keep the ghouls back. Thankfully their dexterity was so badly decayed that they could not grab hold of the whip, but her shoulder started to ache and as much as her adrenaline was pumping the ghouls were able to encircle her since she could not whip in a circle for very long, taking the dropped whip as an opportunity to get closer. "Alucard! I'm about to die! A little help here!" She screamed, trying to scream as loud as possible in hopes that the sound would do something to keep these fuckers back. Nope. The ghouls collapsed into dust, Lina sinking to her knees and panting like a dog, her shoulder on fire. Alucard came over, wiping his guns clean of blood.

"Not too bad. I was expecting to rescue you a lot sooner than this. I had enough time to find the vampire and kill him. Shall we go look for another hunt?" He was grinning like a cheshire cat, licking his lips to clean up the blood. Lina pulled out her cell phone, checking the time. She sat against a clean tombstone, rubbing out her leg muscles and fighting to keep her eyes open against the wave of panic that was setting in now that the threat was gone, her eyes bloodshot and her face damp from crying and the mist, giving her skin a pale glow with bright rosy cheeks.

"Um…as much fun as it sounds to get the living daylights scared out of me I want a shower before bed and classes tomorrow. Wash the scent of terror off, but maybe tomorrow night. We'll make a date out of it. You slaughter things and I stand behind you and tell you how hot you look." Lina's voice was harsh from the strain of screaming and the sarcasm. She never wanted to be this close to death ever again; it was too intense, too real, too haunting. She would never sleep well again. Well, she would probably never sleep again period.

"Sounds like a wonderful night."

* * *

Mary Our Mother orphanage…Monday 8 a.m.

Anderson was saying morning pray with the children before they ate breakfast when the documents from the Vatican were faxed to his office. The vampire that they had been assigned to go hunt had been killed and the mission as a result was now terminated. They had also faxed documents to bring to his meeting with Hellsing. Sean had stayed in the office to go over some of the more boring paperwork, picking up the papers and reviewing them before setting everything neatly on Anderson's desk. A wave of relief washed over Sean as the mission was cancelled, his inner beast rumbling against his hold on it. It was getting harder. Sean's health was suffering from the constant struggle inside of him. His skin was pale, his face gaunt and the deep bags under his eyes announced his exhaustion. Sean was starting to think that maybe, despite all the good he saw in Anderson, that the Vatican had given up on trying to cure him, finding him more useful as he was, a monster. Sean had actually called his parents a few days ago, it had been the first time in months, he felt so horrible for the way his mother had sobbed on the phone. He missed home, he missed his life, he missed being normal.

Why had he gone off the deep end and gotten himself into this mess. He had been praying long enough to realize that Lina had never done it to him. She had tried to stop him, warn him that he was getting into dangerous waters. She had suffered at his hands, he had forced her away from her family, from her own life, to the point where she fled the country and crossed an ocean to escape what he had become. Now Lina and all the other girls would never be able to call their families again. Maybe this was God's way of punishing him for taking so many lives. He would forever spend his life without the comforts he wanted. And deep inside of him he still wanted to prove he was a better monster than Dracula. That had nothing to do with her, it had to do with his own desire to succeed, to dominate, to destroy and conquer the king of vampires. To be the greatest monster he had to kill the best. Sean shook his head to shake the thoughts off, grasping his rosary tightly to focus his thoughts and pray, feeling the prickling feeling under his skin that signified the oncoming change had to be pushed down.

Sean walked briskly into the kitchens, opening up the fridge and pulling out a raw steak, running with it outside and ripping into it once he was out of eyes sight, the taste of blood helping calm him. When he finished Sean looked down at himself, seeing the blood from the steak on his hands, on his collar and could feel it on his robes. With shaking knees he stumbled to the brick wall and sank down, his hands fisted in his hair and he was crying. He wanted this all to stop! He couldn't take not being human!

"God save me from myself…I surrender myself to your grand guidance and beg your forgiveness…please…help me…save my soul…" Sean was rocking himself as he cried; unaware that Anderson had watched his little fit. The older priest felt a jolt of pity for the sight the young man made, but the boy was worth much more as he was. Turning away Anderson walked to his office, looking over the Iscariot papers on his desk, his hand clenching as he knew immediately that the case had been handled by the ex-Hellsing hound. Well, if the vampire was going to play that way, Anderson would set a trap for the unholy bastard and send him straight to the bowels of hell. The dead travel fast, but never through water, for then the river of death shall find them and deliver them straight to the lake of fire. Picking up the phone Anderson and called Iscariot spies, wanting to know the vampire's movements so when the time was right he would end Alucard.

* * *

Friday…3 pm.

Sir Integra rubbed her temples in annoyance. So far all her missions this week had been cancelled because the vampire was killed before her troops mobilized, and that meant that Seras and Lina had yet to be thrown into a field mission to try and force the fledgling to actually use her powers. Normally she would be thrilled to not have vampires slaughtering innocent people, but what annoyed her was that Alucard was the one taking care of all the missions. It meant mountains of paperwork for Integra to go through to report that a non-operative was handling missions, and was starting to make her look like a hack to the round table. Pressing the button on the intercom Integra called Lina into her office. It was twenty minutes before Lina made her way from the dungeons to her office, opening the door and walking to stand before the oak desk.

"How can I help you Sir Hellsing?" Lina was wearing a pair of black slacks and a teal blouse with black sensible shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun; the bangs that hung at the sides of her face were still brown but tinted purple along with the tips of her hair.

"I want Alucard to come here tonight. And you need to wear your Hellsing uniform. The next time you come in something else for work I'll make you work in the nude. Is that clear." Integra would never actually make someone work nude, this was her home and she honestly did not want to have to worry about which chair she was going to sit on. Lina nodded.

"Can I wear leggings under my uniform? The skirt is so short when I bend over people can see my undies. Alucard made sure to pinch me every time he could see it. I'm black and blue all over." Sitting had been such a pain for a week. If it had only been Alucard that would have been okay, but no, Dracula just had to join in the fun, with less than innocent spankings. A blush came to her cheeks as she remembered the one he gave her before she came to work today. The bastard had actually smacked her right between her legs. That had set Alucard off, and the last thing she had seen was the two making short work of the horrible kitchen cabinets. As they punched each other.

"Fine, but they must be plain black or nude. None of those horrible 80's flashbacks filled with bright colors or designs. You may leave." With the dismissal Integra returned to her work, listening as Lina closed the door behind her. Integra had another date with Matt tomorrow and was excited about it. They got along so well and he could make her laugh. But the part about him that she actually liked the most was he wasn't afraid of her being in control. With a shake Integra brought herself back to her work, wanting to get it done properly so she could actually relax later on before that insufferable vampire came.

Down in the dungeons Seras was taking a quick nap as she waited for Lina to come back down from Sir Integra's office. They had been busy cataloguing all the books down here for Sir Integra, and it had helped them in their search for Seras to use her powers. Until now Seras had never really understood her master's position about being bored. Without any missions the last week had been nothing but sleep, eat, practice, and sleep. She wasn't even allowed to go out on the town. It was simply awful. Seras heard Lina coming back down the stone stairs and open the door, opening her eyes to look at her co-worker.

"You were right; she got upset about the uniform." Lina went right back to the book she had been cataloguing, filing it away and grabbing a fresh stack as Seras read over parts of the books Lina had set aside for her to read. "Are you close to getting the wall walk? Cause Alucard's coming tonight at Sir Hellsing's 'request'. I forgot when we made this stupid bet and have no idea how much time we have left."

"I can crawl up the walls and across the ceiling, but I am sure he is expecting me to actually walk." Seras had nothing to do but practice, and she had managed to improve as boredom forced her to try and seek some entertainment. Seras was not expecting the hug Lina sprung upon her, the smaller girls face buried between her breasts. Lina had pinned Seras's arms to her side in the hug, and Seras felt like Lina nuzzled her. "Um…Miss Khayam…can you get off me." There was an awkward silence as Lina did not move. Seras started trying to wriggle out of Lina's hold, getting her arms adjusted enough to pry the smaller girl and push her away. "What was that about?"

"Pip paid me 50 pounds to figure out if they were real or not. I'm uber jealous. I wish mine were that nice naturally." Cupping her own chest Lina frowned as she compared them. Seras was going to kill that French pervert. "Anyway I am really glad you are doing so well. You can do way more than I can. Maybe we should put a trapeze net under you so when you try walking on the ceiling you don't have to worry about landing head first."

"That would be nice. But I doubt Sir Integra would approve. She doesn't like me. Probably would be thrilled if I cracked my skull open." Seras moved on to the next book as Lina worked her way through the shelves, brushing dust off her clothes from the room.

"Since when does she come down here to check? Besides, you can hear her coming, so just put it away before she sees it. Honestly, if she wanted you dead she would have done it by now. Besides, what she doesn't know won't get you killed." Their conversation died after that, mostly working through the books before Lina's cell phone went off, Lina waving goodbye to Seras, her shift at an end and she was eager to get home and work on her project for class. Lina passed Pip on her way out, telling him the results and collecting her money. It would buy her enough gas to get home. After checking out her time card Lina exited the Manor and the estate, texting Alucard about Integra's orders as she started up her car and drove. In Lina's bag were a few books she had purposely not catalogued, needing them for some research she was doing. It wasn't stealing, she was going to bring the books back, and if Alucard stayed out all night she might make a lot of progress on it. She hoped that Alucard would stay out tonight. He had been dragging her to his hunts and she was starting to miss her sleep. Once she got home Lina popped down her third energy drink of the day and started on her homework up in her soon to be ritual space. Most of the home was already done, fresh flooring and new paint made everything fine, and since most of the kitchen had been demolished previously this week, the contractor had less work to do. Lina had no idea what Alucard had told the contractor, but the crews seemed to be working 24/7 and everything looked like it would be done in a few more days.

Lina had no idea when she had passed out, but her alarm clock jerked her out of her unconscious state. She looked around and started to panic because this means she had not written her essay last night, had not printed it, and was going to have nothing to hand in for her teacher. She had to type something, even an F worthy paper was better than zero. About to dash upstairs to her laptop to write a strong arm wrapped around her and kept her in place, a dangerous set of fangs at her delicate throat.

"I finished the essay last night weakling. I emailed it to your professor that you were unable to attend class. You have another 3 hours before you have to go in." Alucard's husky voice and the sensation of air rushing over her skin made her giggle wildly and wriggle under him. Slowly she turned to face him, his eyes closed and his face relaxed. Lina blushed as she realized that he had put her in an oversized shirt, and removed everything but her panties. She was about to ask why but he cracked an eye open and stared at her. "You passed out half way through your first sentence and typed 47 pages worth of gibberish before I pulled your face off the keyboard. Your notes were vague and sloppy at best but thankfully your mind is easier to read when you sleep so it was simple enough to yank out what you wanted to write out. As for why I'm letting you relax…the bags under your eyes are completely hideous." She wanted to be more upset with him. But honestly, she needed to sleep, for the last couple of night she had been up late, and what sleep she got had been filled with nightmares of the ghouls she had seen and the terror from trying to survive.

"I'm going to stay home then, nothing major besides that essay today." She turned back around, closing her eyes and ready to sleep the day away. She snuggled backwards into his hold, enjoying the comfort it gave her. Sure he was cold, but that what the blankets were for. As Lina passed out once more Alucard smirked, his hand traveling back up to her breast and fondling her in her defenseless state. The trip to Hellsing had been interesting to say the least. Sir Integra had threatened to neuter him if he kept killing her targets, and somehow through the resulting argument he was fully employed again and would be on mission tomorrow with Seras and Lina. His plan had worked perfectly. Annoy Integra enough and he gets to work again, and keep his little human pet from getting killed before he was done with her. Rolling on his back he kept his hand firmly on her breast, feeling her warm body roll over and curl into his side, her arm draping over his chest. It was humorous how small she was compared to him. As he fell into sleep once more she rested her head against his chest, his arm shifting to keep a hold on her.

* * *

Saturday…9pm….small fishing village on outskirts of Bristol

Glowing eyes lumbered about lazily in the mist on shore, pacing back and forth out of reach of the waves, some ghouls even trying to get onto the docks. The survivors were huddled out on their boats in the harbor, waiting for more survivors before they left, sending out radio distress calls for help. A woman played with her lighter, looking over the gas station as the ghouls chow down on the station attendant. She picked up some jerky, ripping it open and trying to eat it, spitting it out in disgust. How disappointing. Blood got so boring after a while, she was dying for chocolate. Kicking over the shelves she walked out, going to a gas pump and letting it pour out over the ground. Flicking her lighter open she set the gas off, using her speed to escape the massive series of explosions, uncaring about the ghouls that burned. Walking along the empty street she went to the jewelry store and kicked the glass in, going in and helping herself to anything she wanted since no one was going to stop her anymore. Satisfied with the accessory change she stuffed the rest into the designer handbag she had taken from one of her victims, walking out of the store and past her ghouls. She knew that the rest of the town was now hiding out on their boats but she didn't care. Alexia Summers had been given immortality and she was going to do anything she wanted now.

Fuck college. Fuck the pigs. Fuck the world. It was her playground now. Her inhuman hearing picked up on the sound of a boat engine moving closer to the docks, and she honestly didn't care, her ghouls would eat the idiots for coming into her new lair. Moving away from the docks she followed the road back to the townhomes where her family and all their fucking perfectly normal neighbors had lived before she punished them. No one would ever call her a freak again, and live. Her red hair was loose and bounced around her head, her black lipstick smeared from eating and blood staining her lips red. She stopped at the house she used to live in, a twisted grin on her face as she could see the shredded remains of her stepmother. Stupid bitch should have never told her to dress pretty. She was pretty damn it, she didn't need to wear conformist clothes to have boys notice her! Daddy was just another mindless ghoul now. He listened to her, he did what she wanted, and he couldn't say she needs to grow up. She gets to stay 17 forever! Fucking dumb asses.

Alexia raided her stepmother's' jewelry box, the safe for cash, and got Dad's guns. She robbed all the houses around her, having to get extra bags for all the stuff she was taking to start her new life. She came to the last house, leaving the full bags out front as she went in ready to sweep the place out and then torch the entire town. Most of the businesses near the docks should be up in flames now from the gas station fire. Alexia was so focused on what she was doing; she never noticed that her ghouls were being killed, the fires being put out, or the two women hunting her down. Seras killed off the ghouls as Lina tried to figure out where the head vampire was hiding. When Lina noticed the bags outside the house she signaled Seras and they both made their way as quietly as possible to the house. Lina went in first as Seras brought up the rear, Alucard having fun slaughtering the ghouls by the docks. This house was devoid of ghouls and any real damage except for the rummaging by their target. As they made their way up the stairs Lina went still, fighting back the chills from wearing such light clothing. Lina missed her jeans. It was too cold to fight vampires in a mini-skirt. She and Seras were in the same uniform, Lina wearing tights while Seras stuck to her thigh highs. At the landing Seras cut ahead of Lina, Lina now guarding the rear. They found the vampire in the master bedroom ripping the door off a small safe and digging through the possessions. Seras lined up her shot with the back of the young girls head, hardening herself against the fact it was a young girl and instead reminding herself that this girl had just destroyed the town with no remorse. The target heard the breath Seras took to stead her nerves, turning around and darting at Seras, fighting with the older girl for control of the gun.

"Oh no you fucking don't! This is my time! I am finally getting everything the world owes me! And no one is going to ruin it for me!" The desperate need to survive helped the smaller girl overpower Seras, claws digging into the soft flesh of the throat, Seras trying to rip the hands off. Lina jumps on top of the struggling vampire, Lina's weight helping her push the teen off and onto the ground, trying to pin the teen there until Seras came and took over, Lina pulling back and radioing in that they had acquired the target. "Fuck you! Fuck you to bloody Hell! It's your fault everything is ruined! I was finally getting what I deserved! I was finally going to be happy." The teen started to sob, bloody tears running down her face as Seras kept her pinned to the floor, Lina looking over the wounds Seras had and wrapping them quickly before kicking the teen in the face with her boot.

"Shut the fuck up you whiny bitch! You just slaughtered an entire town so you could loot it. You are so low on my list of people to give a shit about right now. Seras just squish her so I can go home and finish my history paper." Lina was feeling vicious right now. Her blood was rushing from the adrenaline from running through ghouls, that turning into anger now as she stopped moving, needing an outlet. Seras looked up at Lina, still firmly pinning the squirming teen, noticing the bloodlust in her partners' eyes and she wondered if maybe Alucard had not already turned Lina. When Seras made no move to kill their target Lina let out a frustrated scream and resumed kicking the vampire in the face, listening to the screams and begging for it to stop, Seras almost letting go so the girl could protect herself from the assault. The girl was screaming louder and a hand yanked Lina to the wall, away from the sobbing teen with a battered face. Seras felt horrible but grabbed her weapon while the vampire was unwilling to move and fired a shot through the back of the target's head, the body under her turning to dust. Lina was staring at the pile with horror, sliding down the wall in shock at what she had just done to that teen. Alucard stepped out of the wall next to Lina; grinning at the viciousness he had seen her display towards the pathetic vampire. "What the fuck….I just…" Lina dropped her head into her hands, blood on her boots from how viciously she had kicked at the subdued target.

"You used her face for a kicking bag."Alucard was sneering at Lina, watching her give him a look that he brushed off easily. The radio signal came in that all agents were to sweep the perimeter for remaining ghouls or other possible survivors. Lina got up, walking away from both vampires with her hands wrapped around her, goose bumps on her skin as the chill of the night settled. The uniform gave absolutely no protection from the cold. Alucard put his red coat on her shoulders, which she accepted and bundled herself in, it dragged on the ground behind her but Alucard said nothing. "Go for a walk, it will clear your mind." She nodded, a flare gun the only weapon she had besides the whip she had wrapped around herself under the shirt of the uniform. She walked away from the fire that was being cleaned up, heading for the playground that was across from the homes. Sitting on the swing Lina let herself swing slightly, focused on her feet as she tried to evaluate what she had just done. The wind kicked up slightly, Lina pushing her long side bangs back behind her ears. A sudden clicking sound catches her attention and she jerks her head up and in the direction, her hand on the handle of the whip, ready to pull it out. When nothing happened she looked around, slowly pulling the whip out and hiding it under the red coat, looking at the area the sound had come from. The clicking comes again from the same direction and she notices a reflection of the street lights of something in the bushes where she heard the sound. Without hesitation she cracked her whip, the crack ringing in her ears since she was not wearing the protective ear plugs, but it was enough to get the attention of Seras who came jogging over, her cannon slung across her back. Something darted off as Seras approached, and they could see the camera slung around the person's neck.

"Stop! Stop right there!" Seras gave chase as Lina called in the problem, heading back into the village where Hellsing troops were mobilizing to go after the person of interest. Sitting on the back of the van she waited for a report about the trespasser. The troops came back without the person she was about to call it in when she saw that a few were carrying the cannon while Pip rushed over to the van with Seras in his arms. Lina jumped to her feet, moving aside as Pip set Seras down, the fledgling groaning in pain. Lina pushed Pip aside, noticing the pieces of parchment that looked like they were nailed in. Alucard materialized next to them inside the van, making a tsk-tsk sound as he looked over the parchments.

"Those are some pretty nasty wards. With silver tipped nails. Better get those out before Police girl becomes dust." He reached out, poking the head of a nail and an electric like current passed over her body, making her writhe in pain before Pip pinned her down again. Lina made Seras bite into a spare roll of gauze as she grabbed a pair of pliers. "You're going to get a nasty shock too you know." Alucard raised his hands as Lina tossed rubbing alcohol at his face, it smashing into the wall behind him as he let it pass through him. Lina used the pliers to grab the head of the nail, trying to yank it out, but the shock rippled across Seras again and hitting Pip, the shock rushing over Lina like water off duck feathers. Realizing that this was not working, Lina got on top of Seras, studying the seal and coming to a conclusion.

"Alucard, can you read the Latin phrases backwards for me? From bottom to top, and give me some blood to write the counter spell with. They use magic, I can too." She yanked the blood packet from his grasp. With a bored sigh at his fledgling suffering he leaned over, looking over the words and speaking them backwards, watching with interest as he finished and Lina wrote symbols that looked more like scribbles of blood and doodles in strange assortments. The parchment went up in flames and the nails burst out of Seras's flesh like bullets, Alucard pushing Lina and Pip out of the way as Seras passed out. "Did not expect the exploding part." Lina panted out from underneath Alucard, Pip shaken as he looked at the holes created in the roof of the van.

"No one ever does." Alucard got out of the van, pulling out a fresh blood pack to sip on as the medic came rushing over to check over Seras's wounds. "Well…your spell work is getting much better. You were able to actually counteract a catholic seal. Not easy. But it was a weak one." Lina sat against his legs, still bundled up in his coat, looking up at him and licking her lips, feeling thirsty. She called out to one of the other wild geese, catching the bottle of water tossed to her. She opened it, gulping half of it down at once, then trying to drink the rest slower but it was only three more gulps before it was gone and she was still thirsty.

"I couldn't have done it without you." She called out for more water, the fires around town already out and everyone was slumped somewhere to rest before the clean up team came in. "Couldn't speak Latin when my lives depended on it." Alucard looked down, stepping aside and snickering as she floundered to stop from smacking her head into the asphalt. She turned and glared up at him, tempted to smack his legs with the empty water bottle. "What was that for!" She watched as he shrugged his shoulders and sat down next to her, pulling out his guns and looking them over, checking them for damage. "So the Catholics took pictures of me…that means Sean is going to know about me soon." She had read through the reports and found out that Sean was apparently a new agent for the Iscariots.

"His fight is with me, you are no longer the target. I am. I'm an enemy that his wolf can't ignore. We monsters can't run from battle, we seek it out and have to prove we are better. At best you'll be bait. Not that it makes a difference to me. I never leave a target alive. I'm going rip his heart out and crush it to make sure he stays dead this time. It would be a shame though if you died before I got into your panties though." He snickered at the glare she gave him.

"Don't make me show everyone the picture on my phone of that heart." The smirk left his face and found real estate on Linas' own lips, the two waiting for the next orders from headquarters under the moonless starry sky.

"You vicious little minx." He was pouting like a child and it made her laugh. The king of vampires was just sitting next to her on a blood splattered street and pouting. Getting up and leaning over his shoulder Lina whispered in his ear.

"Only when you want me to be." She tried to sound seductive before she squealed and blushed as he spanked her with his shadows under the coat, her face turning beat ready as his shadows started to grope. "Cheater." She whined, sitting back down and squirming as he molested her in plain view with no one suspecting it.

"Only when I want to be." He hissed at her, flashing fangs as the radio sparked to life and Sir Integra's voice roared with her anger. "Things are looking up." He would not admit this to anyone, but he liked working again, it was something to break up the drone of the endless hours he had to spend on this Earth. Lina rolled her eyes, wincing as Sir Hellsing yelled her name followed by a four letter word.

"Things are looking down."Lina started to wrap the whip under her shirt once more. Even though Sean was only after Alucard, she was going to get dragged into the fray, she just knew it. Her spell work was going to need to be a lot stronger before the shit hit the fan.

**Chapter End**


	29. Living

Monday Nov 28th…11 am…Mary Our Mother orphanage

The hands holding the photos were shaking with rage. A rumbling growl vibrating the chair Sean sat in as he soaked in what this meant. That little bitch was alive. He was going to rip her throat out and shake her like a chew toy. He would fuck her while she died, and then crush her skull like she was a roach. The Iscariot spy had been keeping tabs on missions that Alucard was sent to handle, and the next hunt he and Father Anderson took on would be the devil in red, the man that had been the enemy of the Church and God for over 500 years. Anderson took the pictures before they were shredded, putting them away in the file.

"Best ye save that energy lad. 'e nearly killed ye before, 'e'll not likely let ye live the next time. Ta Lass is t'e least our worries. Will Alucard come after 'er if she goes a missing?" Anderson was already preparing his blessed blades and his barriers; ready to take the vampires' head back to the pope and have it mounted on a pike. Sean looked up, a wolfish sneer on his lips.

"No. When we fought last time he only cared about his dirt box. Hadn't realized she was kidnapped from his place. We want to hurt him we get his coffin. It should still be at the old place. Can't think of any other place a corpse would want to be." If they attacked the vampire during the day by surprise in its den it was almost assured that they would win. Sean gripped his cross to steady his nerves, biting his lip hard enough to taste his own blood. Sean licked the blood from his lips and felt arousal at the battle high. The silver around his neck sent a sizzle down his spine and reigned in his dark desires. "When do we go hunting?" Sean's voice was filled with gravel as his vocal folds repaired themselves after the pain and the stress of transformation, even if it was halted.

"Section 13 will send orders ta get down ta hunting by week's end. In your patience possess ye your souls." (Luke 21:19) Even with such calm words Anderson was grinning like a madman himself with a twisted delight shining in his eyes at the thrill of the hunt to come.

* * *

Thursday Dec 1st…7:16 pm…Alucard's home

Lina was locked in her bedroom and hunched over her book as she finished an assignment, her finals coming up next week and she had all that time off to focus on her exams. The house was fully floored and painted. New cabinets installed in the kitchen, and fixtures were scheduled to be installed tomorrow in all the bathrooms. As Lina typed the answer to the last question in her text book she felt a wave of relief, saving the document six times before submitting it three hours before the deadline and she started to work on the study guide for the first exam on Monday. A shiver ran down her spine as a dark presence entered her room, lurking over her shoulder. Try as Lina might she could not focus with that sense of fear and panic. Turning up slowly she let out a sigh of relief when it was Alucard above her and not some ghoul or ghost. She waited for him to say something and after a few minutes of silence and him just staring down at her she felt herself timidly look back to her homework, not wanting to stare while his expression was guarded by those glasses of his.

"Good evening Alucard." Her voice was weak and she realized that she had not spoken since she woke up this morning, silently going through her day as she prepared for the end of term. She felt him move closer, invading her personal space bubble even more. Cold hands rested on her shoulders, feeling more like a restraint than comfort. "Can I help you?" She was trying to sound polite and bury down her discomfort. His hair was brushing against her exposed shoulders and it sent pleasant shivers down her spine.

"You said you wanted to know when my birthday was, did you not?" His voice was husky from waking from sleep, the richness of his voice making her forget about her academic stress. She nodded a yes, her mouth incredibly dry now. "How does next week sound, after your finals. I think you can manage to plan something special for me." Lina felt herself getting hotter as his cold breath teased her neck. She swallowed hard and moved herself closer to him. "You already studied today." His finger turned her chin so she would look at him. His glasses were half way down the bridge of his nose with his eyes half closed. A relaxed look on his face and his black locks carelessly tossed from his sleep. She watched as his smile turned into that familiar smug smirk. "I'm hungry…go make me something to eat while I clean up." He pulled away and laughed wickedly as she cursed him as he left. Lina couldn't help herself as she stood to go make him something, swearing he had her under some kind of hypnosis.

Opening the fridge she pulled out a packet of blood since he kept them stashed in there along with her food. Pulling out a pot she boiled water and warmed the packet of blood as she cut up some bread and pulled out her none garlic spices. Lina really, really missed still ate it, but she had to eat less. After melting some butter she seasoned it with the spices and then soaked the bread in it. By the time Alucard came into the kitchen and sat down at the small table she had the bread set out for him with a bowl of blood heated to about body temperature. Alucard was smirking as he watched her set up his meal, waiting till she noticed him. She had a soft smile on her face as she hummed to herself, and he had to admit it was kind of cute how happy she got when she was doing something so simple, and how she didn't even blanch at the fact it was human blood she was serving him. They say the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, and Lina had found the soft spot, warming his blood up. When she turned around she placed the meal for him on the table before getting a glass of mango juice for herself, finally noticing him.

"You need anything else or can I go back to studying?" She asked, watching him dip the bread into his meal, watching his tongue with a mix of interest and disgust at the strange ways it could move. He gave her a lazy look over, taking in her appearance and smirking.

"Oh I can think of something you can do before I leave for work." He was talking in his suggestive tone and she groaned. She was not in the mood for it.

"Have a good hunt." With a roll of her eyes she walked past him, giving him a quick kiss before returning upstairs to her room. Alucard frowned slightly at her dismissal of his offer. But he brushed it off. Finished with his meal he tossed the dishes into the sink, and locked the doors with his shadows before leaving to report to Hellsing. She may have time off, but he was more than happy to be busy.

When he arrived on the Manor he moved down to the basement to surprisingly find his fledgling standing on the ceiling of her room. Seras turned to see him phasing through her door, taking slow hesitant steps in his direction. She put her arms down towards the floor before letting go so she landed on the floor, bouncing from her fingertips to the balls of her feet. Smiling as she popped up to greet her master.

"I can defy gravity and walk on the ceiling. Isn't that great!" Seras was so excited about her achievement and more so about escaping the bet and the negative results she would have encountered. Alucard shrugged, not impressed by the paltry performance.

"It's barely passing as a power. Now, what missions are we on tonight?" At the prospect of bloodshed his entire demeanor had become on edge like a snake ready to strike. Seras did not let his comment ruin her new found pride.

"Sir Integra has no missions scheduled for us tonight; we are on reserve call only. And the few missions the troops are on are at best intelligence missions and patrols." She could hear the tension in his bones as he tried to not to shoot her out of frustration. "Oh…you should go see Walter. He wants to talk with you about something." Seras did a handstand to push herself back up to walk along the ceiling. The novelty of her ability was already wearing off, and it felt so completely natural now she wondered how she had never done it before. She sat down cross legged on the ceiling, wondering if maybe she should grow her hair out longer so she could watch it dangle.

"Any idea what it is?" Seras shook her head no, making Alucard smack her off the ceiling before he left to go find Walter. Seras let out a startled yelp as she tumbled towards the floor and groaned as she pulled her face off the cold stone. With a chuckle Alucard traveled through the shadows of the house until he found Walter sitting in his office, typing the reports for Sir Hellsing to approve. "Police girl says you had something to speak to me about." Alucard watched as the elderly man looked up, nodded to him. Saving the work he was doing, Walter stood up from his desk. The desk was a drafting table for the different weapons specially designed for Hellsing operatives. Alucard noticed that Walter had been adjusting his wires since they were lovingly laid out under the lamp. With a soft smile Walter set his work gloves down, going to a supply wall and pulling out a medium sized lock box and giving it to him. "Silver bullets designed to work with that gun of hers, it's not a standard issue gun so the bullets had to be special made. Sir Integra won't notice, I simply cut them out from your bullet supply, since you can use…other methods. With Lina out in the field more she will need more effective bullets since that whip of hers is not enough to kill a ghoul." Alucard took the lock box and put it in his coat, knowing his shadows would take it where he willed it.

"Sir Integra seems determined to kill her." Alucard was having harder time denying his feelings towards Lina, but he could not bite back this statement. Walter chuckled as he sat down once more to tinker with his wires on his desk.

"Do not worry so much. Remember when I first started to work for Hellsing? I was much younger than her, and had a much more dangerous field partner. And the missions these rookies are sent on is like warm up exercises when you think back to what we used to accomplish." Alucard thought back on their old escapades, his smirk in place, but the realization that his little human would be out there made him uneasy. If she was pushed to do it, he knew she could. He wanted her to still be…in need of him. If she was pushed to do what she was being assigned to, she would no longer need him to protect her.

"She is not you Walter, nor do I desire to make her be like me."

* * *

Vance estate home…10 pm

The halls of the family estate were peaceful and silent, Samantha sleeping on the couch next to Matt with her toys still scattered around the room while cuddling her favorite stuffed animal, the one they had bought on their zoo trip. Matt had come here tonight to try and relax with his family, the others could handle the club while he was gone. His aunt came back from the kitchen with a plate of cookies fresh from the oven, looking to see Samantha passed out and smiling to herself while setting the cookies down on the coffee table before sitting next to her nephew. As the smell filled the room Samantha groggily woke up, taking a cookie and nibbling on it before once more falling asleep, making the two adults laugh at her antics.

"Matthew, how are things with you and that lovely lady you are seeing?" Janette was so excited for her nephew, she couldn't help but pry into his life, she had raised him after his parents died, and she always felt like he was her son. Matt took a cookie, eating it in order to prolong the time he had to answer her question.

"Lady Wingates and I are getting along very well Auntie. She's a wonderful woman. Integra is a little standoff-ish, but it just shows me how independent she is, and I admire her for it." A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he thought about Integra, and his aunt hugging him as she thought of how sweet it was.

"You are so adorable Matthew; your father said those same things about your mother. I guess it just runs the family being attracted to strong women." She kissed his cheek, leaving a smudge of her lipstick and Matt could not help but laugh as he tried to rub it off, feeling like a child again. "Do you think you like her enough to marry her?" Matt completely froze at the question like a deer in headlights, his mind sputtering for a response.

"Janette, stop scaring the boy. He has plenty of time to settle down and have children for us to spoil rotten." Matt began to choke on the air he was inhaling as his uncle walked in, joining in on this little game. When he was able to speak again his face was beat red and he stood up and walked to the kitchen, needing a glass of water as an alibi to escape the uncomfortable conversation.

"Oh the children would be so cute, do you think they'd have blonde hair or black?" Janette was smiling broadly as the comment chased her nephew out of the room. "No matter what hair color, the children would hopefully have hazel eyes, the green and blue combination is just adorable." Matt was wondering if he could just escape out the window without them noticing his absence. At least this was better than his house mates constantly teasing him about calling her princess. All their dates since then had been as far away from the club as possible, and as difficult as it was for them to find time to see each other those dates were worth it. They were actually planning on attending many more social events just so they could spend time together. Matt entered the living room, picking Samantha up so he could carry her to bed. The little girl slept in a bed surrounded by stuffed animals, and it was an art form to fit her snuggly between her fluffy friends so she would feel secure and safe. The room was illuminated by the soft glow of her nightlight, and it showcased the child's dreamy smile as she cuddled a stuff animal closer. Tucking the blankets up under her chin Matt kissed her goodnight before going down stairs to face his aunt and uncle once more.

"Are you going to drive home tonight or can we convince you to sleep in your old room?" Charles was sipping from his tea, smiling at his nephew. A smile drew over Matt's lips and he let his shoulders droop.

"Only if auntie doesn't insist that I need a nightlight." There was a chuckle shared between the pair of them before Matthew followed his uncle to the kitchen for a cup of decaf tea before bed.

* * *

Alucard's home…Friday December 8th, 4:17 am

Lina was studying hard for her math exam in the morning, freaking out about this last final. There was a knock on her door before Alucard fazed himself through it and playfully put his hat on her head, leaving his glasses on as he lay on her bed, his hands tucked up behind his head. Lina giggled happily as the hat seemed to engulf her head, having to lift up the edge to look at him. "Boring night I take it." He looked over her night attire, the fluffy striped pants and the simple tank top.

"Dreadfully so." There was a silence between the two as Lina adjusted his hat so she could still read the words she had scrawled out on her notes. "You two won the bet. I guess I have to help you cheat your way to an A on your math final."

"Hey, it's not cheating, it's just an unfair advantage on the battlefield of academia. I thought you of all people could appreciate that kind of thing." Her terror of impending math based doom evaporated in Alucards' presence. Not because he was going to help her cheat, but because he just seemed to make her happy more often than not these days, despite his best efforts. With a careless flourish he pushed her books off the side of the bed. He watched as Lina turned to stare at him, silently cursing him if he damaged the books before pouting up at him for the unnecessary action. He then laid himself on her bed so he was able to leave her now room.

"Is something the matter?" He teased. Lina stood and picked up her books, putting them in a neater pile before standing at the side of her bed, hands on her hips with her toe tapping. He burst out laughing at her attempt to intimidate him.

"Police girl is going to be your field partner for a while longer, Sir Integra wants you to stay on field missions to keep Seras improving." The look of anger on her face was replaced by a look of disappointment bordering on hysterics. He was still unsure how she could hover between such vastly different emotions. Lina had thought after the whole bet fiasco was over, that she would be remediated to the job she had actually been hired to do.

"I don't like being a field agent." She was pouting like a child, and he forgot sometimes that 19 was still considered young now a days, she didn't need to be as grown up as most women would have been in his days, or even 100 years ago. "I don't like the way it makes me feel having to be out there." She got up and came to cuddle next to him on the bed, hiding her face in his chest as he wrapped an arm around her for comfort. "I only did it because it was temporary, I mean…look at how terrible I am. I'm not a mercenary, I'm not a soldier, and when I do get violent it's like….I'm not really me either. I'm not cut out for this sort of thing, I'm better at being….I don't know…just not out there."

"You are better suited for the dark arts labs, if those were still operational. I remember those people, always poking and prodding, running scientific tests while using magic. Trying to scientifically explain magic and how it worked. Always checking maps and attack history, sorting out species of vampires." She looked at him, and the soft smile on her face as he described it was proof to him that if she had to work in Hellsing, that would be her choice. She moved closer and rested her head under his chin. He moved his hand towards her, but she stopped him, pulling off his gloves and tossing them off the bed before letting him run his hands over her shoulders.

"I bet I would be awesome at that stuff. I mean…I already have some basic biology training… and with a few chemists, physicists, a few religious scholars, and maybe even psychologists I could get stuff done." Her tone sounded happy as she thought about that, and suddenly it hit him. With the right persuasion, he could lead Integra to opening the dark arts labs once more, and then he could keep his little human safe. He looked down at her and tossed his hat off her head.

"It has been to long since any fresh research was done." He ran his fingers through her hair. He had hated being a lab rat, but if his little human did it, he was sure it would be much more agreeable.

"I have to wake up at 8 am so I can get ready for my test." Lina spoke out softly.

"Get some sleep. I'll wake you up." He knew that they were both lying awake, quietly just taking in each other's physical presence, and the way she seemed to grip his shirt tighter every so often clued him in to the fear she was suppressing, and the slowly growing wet spot on his shirt told him she was crying. He moved his arm over her waist to pull her closer, trying to offer her comfort but also take comfort in the beat of her heart and the heat of her skin. He decided then and there, no matter what would come, he would not turn her. Her humanity was her beauty, and even though he did not live, he could bask in her short mortal life.

* * *

Dec 9th….10 am…Vance home.

Samantha watched with glee as Matt and his friends brought in a large Christmas tree, her parents making coffee in the kitchen. The boys struggled with getting the tree to stand proper in the stand, pine needles scattered all over the floor. After a few close calls of the tree nearly toppling over they finally managed to get it firmly fixed in place. Seth was picking pine needles out of his white hair, the twins eagerly going for hot coffee after dragging the tree in from the cold. Matt looked at the tree with a smile, sitting next to Samantha on the couch, tickling her gently.

"Are you ready to help decorate the tree this year Samantha?" Matt asked as he let her crawl away on the couch giggling as she watched him, making sure he wasn't planning to tickle her again. "What color lights should I use?" She had a thoughtful look on her young face as she examined the tree from base to the very top. Janette brought over a cup of coffee for Matt, it was made just the way he liked it. Matt thanked her as Samantha was given a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream on top.

"I want the lights that are all different kinds of colors. I think it will look so pretty." Samantha announced, firm in her choice and Janette chuckled, kissing her daughter on the forehead. "And we should have a really beautiful Angle on top; and pretty ornaments with glitter on them." Samantha had a little mustache from the whipped cream on her drink, licking it up as she sat there and thought of how pretty the tree would be.

"Alright, I think I have most of that in the attic." Matt set his coffee down on the nearby table, cracking his back before moving towards the kitchen to call the guys in to help him raid the attic in search of the decorations and lights. He was excited because tonight he was escorting Integra to a Christmas Gala, and he wanted to look his best. So, getting the tree done faster meant he had more time to get ready, and thankfully Janette understood that and was planning on leaving so he had enough time. The guys in the kitchen shrugged, following Matt upstairs and into the attic to gather the decorations and lights. It took a while for them to find everything, but they were all merry as they brought it down and opened the boxes. The boys worked on detangling the lights as his aunt, uncle, and Samantha sorted through ornaments to put on the tree. As they untangled the lights Seth plugged them in and the twins checked the bulbs, replacing the burnt out and broken ones as they went.

Matt started wrapping the lights up the tree from the bottom up, adding strands to make it to the top of the tree. As the ornaments were added one by one to the tree, the light from each bulb reflected off their shiny surfaces. As every branch capable of weight bearing was filled with symbols of holiday cheer, Charles lifted Samantha onto his shoulders as she put the Angle on top of the tree. Everyone stood around and admired the tree, taking pictures of them around the tree before Samantha and her parents started getting ready to leave, and the boys were ready to go take naps before dealing with the club tonight. As he wished them well Matt started to clean up the scattered pine needles and odd flotsam and jetsam that came from the boxes that was now dispersed around the floor. Satisfied the floor was clean, he went upstairs, setting his alarm so he could rest before getting ready for tonight. Pulling off his shirt and dropping his jeans he answered his ringing cell phone.

"Hello, Matthew Vance speaking." He answered with practiced ease. Pulling his blankets down as he got ready to sleep for a bit.

"I am calling on behalf of Sir Integra. She is wondering if you are available to accompany her to an event next Friday." Matt recognized Walter's voice and agreed to go, excited to get two dates in one week with her.

* * *

December 9th…3pm

Lina was sitting at the bay windows, watching with wonder as it snowed outside. She had lived in sunny southern California her whole life and had only visited snow once. She was bundled up warmly, sipping on hot chocolate. She had maybe two hours before Alucard and the Count woke up to demand their "birthday" gift. The cake was sitting in the kitchen, and the heater was helping to keep the home warm. Everything in the living room was rich warm reddish brown with accents of black, and some gold. The couches were plush, and all the cushions were extra fluffy. Her room was much more hodgepodge, with the only real theme being peacock feathers and purple. The large screen TV was mounted, and she had hooked her gaming system in to it. She would get her grades in a week and until then, she just had to wait.

There was a flop sound and she looked down, seeing a mass of black inky shadows, red eyes, and sharp fangs in mouths that were drooling onto her hardwood floor. She yelped in shock and jumped back, the mass sitting up and slowly morphing into a more tolerable form of a black dog with approximately six to eight eyes, the shadows morphing a bit even as it sat there and panted, licking its lips at her. When her heart rate calmed down enough she slowly sat up and moved to stand up.

"If you want food, then don't eat me." It made a whimpering sound but moved to the kitchen, and she followed it. It was wagging its tail as she opened the fridge door, pulling out a plastic bag with a bloody chunk of meat Alucard had brought home inside. With a deep bark of excitement it jumped forward and Lina only saved her hand by dropping the treat before teeth slammed down on her flesh. She watched as the dog swallowed the unnamed meat and the bag in one massive gulp. "Good boy, now go back to sleep, I get another two hours before I have to be social." She moved to sit on the long couch, the dog following after her and jumping up to cuddle against her legs, its head resting between her legs as its tail curled around her feet. It promptly obeyed her and slept on her lap, and despite it being made of shadows it was too heavy for her to move on her own. "I didn't mean sleep on me…" She pouted, but she gently pet the dog as it slept on her, thankful she had the TV remote so she could watch something as she waited for nap time to end.

When the sun finally set the dog in her lap slowly shifted into the familiar shape of Alucard. His head was resting on her thighs; his legs were dangling off the edge of the couch, and his hands gripped her wrists to keep her from pulling her hands away. Her fingers had been petting the dog were now in his hair. Alucard was shirtless and the black boxers were not helping her feel shielded from him. What drew the most attention was the scruffy goatee he had. It always managed to turn her on. She wasn't exactly sure if it was Alucard, but Dracula usually made a point of looking older, so it had to be Alucard right? He chuckled at the sudden increase in her heart rate. Smelling her blood beneath the skin and hearing her heart made him growl in delight, pulling her wrist closer and licking the fragile human skin. He smirked up at her with a lazy smile, tracing the blood vessels. Lina was blushing as he looked up at her, his long tongue making her shiver as it teased her wrists and she felt him slowly crawling over her.

"Happy birthday Alucard." She was a bit breathless as she spoke. Alucard had shifted enough that his hips were pressed against hers, and he rolled them against her softly. He licks her throat, enjoying the way she moaned and arched against him. He moved her hands above her head, easily holding them with one as the other hand wandered down and rested between her breasts, feeling her heartbeat. "Alucard…are you okay?" He seemed to be in a world of his own, and like he was thinking of something that had nothing to do with her being under him.

"I was dreaming…about when I was human." That was odd. Alucard didn't share this kind of thing with her. His fingers fanned out just a bit more over her heart. "And right now…I can feel the heat of your skin, the tingle of electricity where I'm touching you" He licked at her throat again, making her moan and he seemed to savor something he could feel from her. "When you were petting Baskerville, I remembered how having time to do nothing was special, not the entirety of existence." He kissed her without warning, his lips gentle at first but as she relaxed into the kiss he grew more vigorous, his tongue invading her mouth and tangling with her, easily getting her into submission. Lina's fingers itched to run through his hair, to pull him closer, but he controlled the entire encounter. After a while of blissful kissing by him Lina felt her lungs starting to protest and she gently tried to back away and get air. He smirked and advanced as she retreated, depriving her of air for longer, his hand on her chest, pressing just a bit deeper to feel her lungs contacting, her body struggling for air and her cells screaming for life. When it was painful he pulled away, watching as she was nearly in tears and struggling to replenish air to her body. "I want you to promise me something, consider this my birthday gift if you do." He let her nod her head in agreement as she continued to correct her erratic breathing. "I want you to stay human, for the hours you spend with me to mean more than unending ages." She saw the soft begging look in his eyes, the smile he was giving her. Her heart was beating so fast. She smiled at him, and he chuckled, nibbling at her ear.

"But how are we supposed to have sex if you can't bite me?" She mumbled softly against his neck, and he looked at her with an arched eyebrow, and then pushed his hips harder against her own. She hadn't agreed to his request, he was not sure if she wanted to give up the chance of being powerful like him, and not having to fear death. He released her hands to let her run them through his hair once more. He needed her to understand, and when he opened his mouth-

"Lina…what the hell am I supposed to do with a cake?" Alucard's voice came from the kitchen, and Lina went still under the Alucard on top of her, looking at him with confusion and watching with dismay as he changed into Dracula. She should have trusted her damn instincts. Alucard walked over, seeing Dracula on top of Lina in a compromising position and the flush on the girls face as Dracula moved his hand to cup her breast, squeezing it playfully to elicit a soft cry of surprise from Lina. There was that awkward moment of silence before Lina was able to speak as Dracula continued to hold her.

"I made it special…with blood…and…and…" Dracula captured her nipple and pinched, making her cry out. She quickly gave Dracula a slap to the face for that one, and was thankfully no longer molested. "You should be able to eat it." Lina felt Dracula shift so he was now the one lying on his back, tugging her along with him, his long, sword calloused fingers playing with her hair. Her face was against his cold chest and a hand rested on her rump. Alucard walked back to the kitchen to see if indeed the cake was edible while dragging Dracula off the couch with his shadows. Dracula being absorbed by the shadows left Lina there in a bit of a confused state. Alucard cut himself a piece of cake, nibbling it and was surprised it wasn't completely horrid; it was actually tolerable as far as human food mixed with blood could be.

"The cake is good, thank you Lina." Lina sat up and watched him as he nibbled at the cake. He flashed his predatory smile at her as she pulled herself together, straightening out her clothes. "So what did he make you give us as a gift?" Alucard was livid with Dracula for how comfortable his other self was with his property but right now he was going to eat cake. Punishment could be done watching her slap his older self had been a fair enough display of her discomfort. She was looking up at Alucard, expecting some form of his angry retribution for his other self's forwardness with her.

"He wants me to stay human. Was saying all these romantic things about humanity, and I said that would make sex difficult. Because I know you will bite, and I don't want to be a ghoul." He started laughing at her words. Alucard gently put his hand in her hair, pulling her towards him and kissing her lips.

"It does seem that is going to be an issue. I guess you'll just have to go a while longer won't you." Alucard sat on the couch next to her, relaxed as he held out his plate to her. "Another piece." She was about to say something when he looked up at her, a hard glare in his eyes. "Either you keep me happy till I forget, or get punished for being caught." He kept his hard stare till she took his plate and slinked to the kitchen to get more of his birthday cake, grumbling about how it wasn't her fault. Alucard knew that, but wounded pride needed to be tended to. He waited till his second slice of cake was in his hand before softening his features. When he had finished with it Alucard set the plate down on the coffee table and pulled Lina close to him. Alucard was wearing just some pj bottoms, Lina resting against his bare chest in an intimate hug. "You should agree." He said finally, seeing Lina look up at him with a bit of hurt in her eyes.

"Why should I stay human? Don't you want me to be with you for… a long time?" Tears were starting to form in the corners of Lina's eyes and he wiped them as he pulled her closer, kissing her throat.

"Of course I do, but your humanity is just part of what makes …that makes you beautiful." He admitted out loud to her, watching her look up in surprise before she hugged him tightly from her position in his lap. It dawned on him that he was being way to nice on his birthday. But the way she was pressing against him, kissing his neck made up for it.

"I promise." He captured her lips quickly.

"So…guess we don't have to worry about guests for Christmas. I called my family and the kids are just too little to visit us." Lina giggled at the look he gave her.

"Your pagan...and I hate god…so why would we bother with Christmas?" He was trying to follow her logic on that.

"Because it's easier to say Christmas to people than explain Shab-e-Yalda or Yule, which is only four days off from it. And I like presents and decorating, singing songs…I like Christmas." She looked up at him with her best pout. Fuck…he was going to be hanging lights. She just sat there and gave him that look, waiting for his word.

"Fine. So what else did you get me for my birthday?" He was bored by the cartoon Lina was watching, flipping it to news.

"I made you a cake." She answered honestly. He looked at his empty plate and frowned at it. "I didn't know what else to get you. Clothes are pointless since you can just change what you have. Weapons are expensive and you get better ones from Hellsing anyway. And you don't really do anything that lends itself to gift ideas. Besides, I just made you a promise as your gift didn't I?"

"I'm not that hard to give a present to." He said pointedly, and Lina could have sworn he was pouting.

"So…me working my but off trying to make a vampire edible cake, since you don't get to enjoy people food, is not a thoughtful, considerate, or meaningful gift?" Her voice was upset and hardened with annoyance. "Do you know how many times Seras was throwing up because I made her taste test my cakes? A lot, like, super a lot. It was like…40 test batches for cake and frosting before she could swallow them without tossing the cookies, and like ten more before she said it was great." Alucard just rolled his eyes, watching the news scroll by on the screen. Seras had probably said it was great just to not have to try any more.

"Feel like at least putting something sexy on for me?" He should have expected that punch to his gut, but it didn't hurt, just more of a surprise. He chuckled though as she did get up and move to walk upstairs. Alucard growled to Dracula through their shadowy connection once she was upstairs. "You can have the rest of the damn cake, but stay away from her tonight or so help me I will find a way destroy you." The cake faded into the shadows to appear downstairs next to his coffin. Her ballet slippers softened the sound of her footsteps as she made her way down the stairs. When Lina returned she was wearing her thick fluffy robe covering herself up. "What a lovely view." He replied sarcastically since he couldn't see what she had under all the fluff, pulling her to rest against his chest like she had been with Dracula. He lazily ran his fingers through her hair. Lina rolled her eyes at him, but when he started to rub her scalp with his cold fingers she sighed in pleasure. Suddenly they heard her cell phone ring and Lina groaned, pulling away from him as she answered it on speaker phone. He smirked as he yanked it away and stood to his full height. Lina stood on the couch and tried to grab the phone from him.

"Lina is busy at the moment, please call again tomorrow or leave a text and she will answer it at her next available opportunity." His voice was filled with rare, but genuine amusement, and he pretended for a moment as she tried to get her phone he was alive, human. There was a laugh from someone that sounded almost like Lina's voice , just older.

"You must be Nasrin's, I mean Lina's boyfriend Vlad. I just wanted to see if she was coming home for Christmas. And you better not get her into trouble young man. She's all I have in the world.." Lina's mother had an understanding tone like she knew that the two where in an intimate position. Alucard looked at Lina thoughtfully for a moment. Maybe he should let her go see them for Christmas, after all…she was still living, had a family waiting for her. He pulled her in and kissed her chastely on the lips, watching the confused look she gave him.

"Hey mom, I don't know if I can…My boss hasn't told me yet what my holiday schedule is. I will try okay mom." Lina said, still trying to grab her phone away from him. He easily lifted his arm higher out of reach.

"Okay honey, let us know as soon as you can, and if you can't for Christmas, then at least try for your birthday. I don't want my baby turning 20 on me without me there to see it." Her mother's voice was trying to be happy but there was obvious sadness in it. "You can bring your boyfriend along too honey. I just really need to see my baby again. It hurts to know you are growing up and I can't be there with you."

"I love you and everyone else mom, I'll let you know as soon as I can." Lina's mother answered back the sentiment and even told him goodbye before hanging up reluctantly on them. Alucard finally handed back her phone, his red eyes simmering warmth as he looked at her, his arms around her as he pulled her close.

"I'll talk to Sir Integra about getting you home for the holidays. I wouldn't want to make a bad impression on your mother." He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer.

"But I thought we were spending them together?" She sounded hurt and disappointed that he was going to send her home.

"I'm not going anywhere. You can always spend the next ones with me." Lina was about to ask why he was being so kind but he ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her lips next to his she blushed. "We should exchange those Christmas gifts early."

* * *

December 15…Hellsing Manor …2 pm

Integra was waiting patiently for Matthew to arrive so he could escort her to the festivities tonight. There was a light dusting of snow that had fallen early this morning. From her office she could watch as the troops practiced on the range. Tonight was a busy night for them. It was longer nights this time of the year which normally meant patrols all over the hot spots of the country for vampiric activities, and of course emergency teams ready to move out if an attack is reported. She looked over her documents, seeing that everything was in order one last time before checking her hair in the mirror. She wore it mostly up in an elegant bun with a few loose blonde curls, framing her strong features. Her silver cross was resting humbly around her throat, a simple pair of diamond studs to match her soft blue dress with a few sparkling accents to mimic the snowflakes fluttering around in the wind. Her silver clutch carried her small hand gun, a packet of silver bullets, her favorite slim cigars, a lighter, and her lens cloth for her glasses. There was a small electronic crackle from the intercom on her desk as Walter's voice filled the silence.

"Sir Integra, Mr. Vance has arrived." She pressed the button on her intercom.

"I will be down presently. Please have my winter coat ready for me. It looks like snow tonight." Straightening out her dress once more she walked out of her office, and down the stairs. Walter was waiting patiently with her coat, Matthew waiting for Integra in a black suit with a dark blue under shirt, and a striped blue tie. His hair was smoothed back, and he smiled at her as she reached him and Walter at the base of her grand staircase. Integra smiled back, gracefully pulling on her fur coat around her shoulders before taking her cell phone and putting it into her clutch. Matt offered his arm and Integra took it with a smile, letting him take her to his car. Walter waiting till the car was out the gates before he turned to his office and grabbed a large package and started down the stairs to the underground levels.

Lina was looking over the large piece of fabric that was laid out on the floor, Seras looking it over as well. Lina was double checking that Seras had correctly transcribed her small scale spell circle to the large fabric. Lina was terrible at scaling, but it seemed vampires were amazing at it.

"Lina…I still think this is too risky. I mean. What if something goes wrong? No one has ever tried to cure a werewolf before." Lina rolled her eyes at the concern Seras showed.

"Seras please have some faith in me. I'm getting better with magic every day. And with the healthy donation of energy from Alucard I'll be strong enough to keep the wolf from escaping the circle before I finish. All you have to do is give me a safe place to get it done. If the circle is broken there is no telling what could happen. A break in any place could cause any number of reactions." Lina was overly confident in her abilities; Alucards' energy always had that effect on her.

"That's what scares me. So much could go wrong Lina, if the fabric rips or a ghoul gets past me. Or worse, the actual vampire interrupts. And there is no telling who is going to be with Sean, I have only seen a few section 13 agents and none of them are going to be happy about a witch and a vampire working for a protestant organization." Seras shivered as her run ins with Anderson came to mind. Walter came in carry a box and Lina seemed to skip over and take it eagerly from him. Lina had been reassigned to a male uniform by Sir Hellsing with the start of colder weather. Seras was still running around in the miniskirt. Lina opened the box, examining its contents and smiling up at Walter. Lina smiled at the large container of wolfsbane securely bundled with other ingredients.

"Perfect, it's all here. Now I just need to mix it and paint it on top of the circle and then, wait." Lina was inspecting the jars and their labels. "Thanks Walter, you're the best." He smiled and bowed politely.

"How will you be preparing these ingredients if I may ask." Walter spoke with mild interest. Lina laughed as she looked around them.

"The old lab equipment downstairs is perfect. I'll just need some help and water to get it all ready." None of them noticed Alucard appearing in the entryway behind Walter, but he had heard enough.

"Lina…I forbid this." Everyone turned to see Alucard glaring at her, sneering at the circle on the fabric and then at Walter. Lina stood up and turned around, opening her mouth to protest. "You have no idea who your ex is with. Even Seras and I have to be careful around this Catholic. I refuse to let you try this little trick out." Seras paled when he said that, her hand going to her throat on reflex. "If you want to exercise a werewolf I'll go out there and drag one home for you to test this on. Hell, I'll bring you an entire pack and lock them up to be your lab rats but this is an act of stupidity I will not allow." With his vampire speed he grabbed the jars from her, his features no longer handsome but twisted with anger.

"Alucard careful, those are hard to get!" Lina was trying to get the jars back but shadow hands grabbed her. He threw the jars back to Walter who caught them easily as Alucard cast a glare at his servant vampire.

"Seras, roll this up and put it and the jars in lab number 2, were she can't reach them." Seras heard the rage in her master's voice and quickly obeyed him, Walter looking on calmly. Alucard used a shadowy hand to silence Lina when she started to raise her voice. "Walter…Giving her the tools she needs to be safe did not include encouraging acts of stupidity. Anderson can skewer her before Seras can blink." There was a clear tone of rage and a hint of betrayal in Alucard's voice. Without waiting for a reply Alucard walked off with Lina struggling in his grasp. He took her to a research lab and set her on a desk, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at his face. His mouth was stretched inhumanly wide in a snarl and his eyes were glowing and she whimpered in fear, her shoulders dropping submissively as she felt frightened. "What the hell are you thinking?" He didn't yell. He spoke it so softly that she had to strain her ears to hear him. She wished he had yelled, his low tone was dripping with promise of pain. He did not release her to answer.

"You do not have the right to risk your life on a fool's errand for some worthless little shit. It seems I have spoiled you, letting you believe you and I are equals. You forget that you only survived your last encounter with him because of my power. You only survive in the field because my fledgling and I shield you. You are a moth that thinks they are invincible just because the flame is in a lamp." He pulled away from her, handing her a Christmas card from her family, little kids sitting on Santa's lap as the parents smile. "Your life does not belong to you." He finally released her but he was gone from the room before she could answer. She had tears in her eyes, wiping them on her sleeve. His words stung her deeply. Not because he was wrong, but because he was right. She had really never considered her family when she hatched her plan. Lina had never considered how her dying would destroy her mother, or hurt her little cousins. She had failed them already when she had dated Sean, and she had almost let them down again. Lina curled her knees up and silently let tears fall down her cheeks. Seras came into the lab a few minutes later, sitting next to Lina and putting an arm around her in a comforting gesture. Seras had heard what her master had said, and part of it stung her, she had no one that missed her when she had been turned.

"Seras….you are a good person…you know that?" Lina's voice squeaked out, looking at Seras and smiling. Seras smiled back, and looked at the card. Lina scrubbed the tears from her eyes and let her legs dangle off the desk.

"Thanks Lina. It's nice of you to say that." Seras let her arm drop from her younger co-worker and there was a silence between them. Seras felt uncomfortable in the silence. "You really don't belong out on the field with us. You are much more the science type, I can see it. I was a police officer, and the wild geese are mercenaries. They actually were over in the Middle East before they were hired. And now that I'm not so…deficient with my powers, Sir Integra might find you more useful down here in the labs." Seras was glad to see her nod her head, respecting what Seras had to say now. "Walter really should never have encouraged you. Can't imagine why he did." Seras moved to stand up, Lina sighing and following after her. "If you want to talk with Alucard, he went to the range, probably tormenting the troops… again."

"Seras…I'm sorry I didn't listen when you said it was a bad idea, I should listen to my friends more." Seras paused and felt something inside twinge in happiness, Lina was weirdly enough, her first real friend. "I was letting my ego blind me, it would be better to try out what I want in a safer lab setting then out on the field, just to see if it can even be done."

"Lina…thank you for calling us friends. And don't worry, I understand. You just want to be useful."

**Chapter End**


	30. Persephone's Descent

Lina had stayed close to Seras the rest of the night, returning to their task of cataloging books since her little stunt had been shut down. Lina was quiet, working mostly on autopilot as they moved through the stacks. Alucard had yet to return, and Walter was also absent. Seras couldn't stand the pouting silence.

"Lina...Master only scolded you because he cares. He does it to me all the time. I mean back when we were fighting…" Sir Integra hadn't given Lina clearance to know about the Incognito case. "Well if I had just listened to Master...more of our troops would have survived. So…"

"I know Seras...I know he cares...that's why I'm so angry with myself. He cared more about my life and my family than I did. I'm not sad because he put me in my place, I'm upset that I forgot it. He's right. My life...it doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the people that love me. To my family, to my friends, to him. I promised him I would stay human and yet here I am, gambling my life away like I have extra to spare." She was wiping tears from her face. "I'm sorry for being a shitty person I guess."

"Lina...you're not a bad person...you're still trying to figure stuff out. I was your age when I got turned. It was so bizarre, but...I had good mentors to help me. The trick is to accept you don't know everything and listen, but trust your instincts." Seras let her mind drift back to Commander Fergenson. Lina would have liked him, and he would have helped the girl adjust to field work like he had helped her. But he wasn't here anymore.

"Seras...do I come across as a know it all?" Lina asked softly, the two girls slowing down in their work as they talked.

"Yeah you do. I mean...you told Master that you could teach me to be a vampire better than him. You know, the king of vampires." Lina winced as it was put in perspective for her by someone else. "You plow through these research books as if it's a competition instead of a mission, and you constantly correct us on pop culture stuff. It's okay to be smart, it's okay to know things, but...sometimes it's okay to just...listen to someone else." Seras was looking over the book in her hand, not sure where to put it. "I mean, how often were you complaining that your classes give you busy work because you already learned it before, or that it's too easy. I mean aside from your math class...did you actually learn anything this semester? I mean...I like it when you know stuff that is useful, but it gets annoying when you act like just because you know something it should have been common knowledge or that we even want to know it."

"Wow...I...is that how I act? Oh my gods...No wonder Sir Integra hates me. Why didn't anyone point this out before I was running around making an ass out of myself?" Lina was feeling even lower in the dumps than before. Not only was she reckless, she was also an asshole.

"Because you get so defensive about what you 'know'. You act as if being wrong is a crime. It's like we attacked your intelligence just because we are trying to say what we think or what we know." Seras could see Lina just sinking deeper into a little rain cloud. "Look, it's not that bad, everyone always picks you first for trivia games, and you do pay attention during missions to your commanding officers. You just have to work on how you respond when you are told you are wrong. You're young, and deep down, you just want to be helpful. You just have to learn to not blurt it out unless someone's life is in danger."

"Oh man…" Lina plopped her head onto the table, lightly hitting her head into the table. "I'm such an asshole. It's really weird to have all these older past lives to drag their knowledge from while still being...not old. I sound like a pompous, arrogant, ass." She looked at Seras with a big pout, sighing as she accepted the criticism. She needed to swallow her ego and accept it if she wanted to get better.

"Lina...Stop beating yourself up. As arrogant as you are, you're also a good friend. If you didn't know what to do I would have been dust after those nails hit me. You're young, you have time to practice being less...pompous."

"You think so?"

"Yeah...I think so." The girls were both sitting there for a moment, Lina now feeling uncomfortable with the silence.

"Can I put some music on?" Lina asked Seras, and the older girl smiled and nodded. Lina put her ipod on a speaker dock, setting it to random.

"Lina?" The younger girl looked over to Seras, curious to what Seras wanted as they started getting back to work. "What do you mean past lives?"

"Oh...um...Well. I can remember lives I have lived before this one." The two drifted into a moment of quiet as a Disney song played over their work.

"So...how does that work? Is it like...do you remember it like it's you? Or is it like...watching a movie about someone else?" Seras had heard people talk about past lives, but it had always been something like 'I was Cleopatra' or something like that before.

"Um...I guess it's a bit of both. They are me, but they also aren't me. They were their own different people, but the energy that was them is now in me, but I am myself. I can 'remember' their stuff, but it's not perfect. Sometimes I can get stuff easily, and other times the stuff is blocked by the veil between the world of the living and the dead. It's like...it's like an imaginary friend, but they aren't fake." Lina was biting her lip, trying to figure it out more. "Oh! Okay, so imagine a ghost, but that ghost lives inside of you. But it is also you." Lina skipped the next song, it was metal so it was too hard to talk over it. "I'm not sure if it works that way for everyone. I might be special on that front since Sandra, one of my past lives, was a necromancer. She could speak with the dead, so she might be making it easier for me to talk with them. She says I could be a good necromancer, but I'm not really open to it. I lived in haunted houses so I don't like ghosts that much."

"Um...cool I guess...is it like multiple personalities?" Seras was trying to understand, but it just didn't really make sense.

"Maybe. I don't know really. We would have to interview a bunch of different people that can remember their past lives so we can see what is a good baseline for it would even be." The two girls drifted once more into silence, more books getting sorted, Lina pulled some aside for Seras to read, and some to recommend Sir Integra make mandatory readings for troops.

"So have you seen Heaven? Or...Hell?" People that had near death experience had reported seeing it, so Seras was curious if Lina had.

"No...or if I have...I can't remember it. Maybe part of the whole, not allowed to know while alive stuff." Lina frowned, this was her least favorite line of discussion. "I can remember dying...a bunch of times...but not anything after that."

"I was in the village of Cheddar...my entire unit was attacked by ghouls. I had stayed back as medic support, but there was nothing I could do. Master was there to hunt the vampire...I shot at him because I was scared. He just healed himself and I ran. I ended up being captured by the vampire. The vampire threatened to rape me...he didn't want any more vampires, just ghouls. Master...Alucard...he shot through my heart to hit the vampire. I was so scared of dying, I didn't want to die at all. I wasn't ready to die. So, Alucard offered to turn me, I said yes. He bit my throat, and then he fed me some of his blood." Her hand reached up, pressing gently to the bite marks towards the back of her neck. She had so much of her own blood in her mouth she hadn't really tasted his. "It was like a fever dream...I was trapped between being awake and being asleep, my life flashed before my eyes but I don't think I died. I just...wasn't alive anymore." Seras offered up, she had never actually been able to talk to someone about turning. "It was strange, especially when he made all the flesh regrow where he had shot through me. I had been hoping to talk to my mum or dad at least...but I guess it will be awhile before I can do that again." They finished another shelf. Lina rolling her wrist to ease the ache from writing so long. Lina pulled out her water bottle, drinking from it as Seras glanced over at the blood pack sitting in ice. She didn't feel like eating right now. "How did your past selves die?" Seras asked politely, enjoying this honest talk between them.

"Well...Sandra was hung...She got caught by the witch hunter general, he wanted the members of her coven, she refused to give up any names. Lucky her. A bunch of other lifetimes that were caught in Catholic controlled territories. They burnt witches at the stake." Lina was getting hungry, her stomach rumbling and she pulled out a candy bar, breaking it into smaller pieces so she didn't eat it all at once. "One from Paris broke her neck after she was pushed down some stairs...I think she's the reason I'm freaked out by getting on the escalator. I don't like the stairs moving away from me when I'm getting on them." Lina offered Seras a piece of chocolate out of habit of sharing with friends, Seras politely declining. "I had a really hard time in high school with this stuff. I couldn't talk with anyone about it. I felt so alone, and like a freak. I just...I kinda freaked out. I got all these memories of other people and I thought I was crazy. It got so bad I-" Lina cut herself off, realizing she had been rambling. "Sorry. I was over talking wasn't I?"

"It's okay. I think I get it though...I've been in a bunch of situations where I swear I'm about to die. I was nearly killed when we fought against Father Anderson. He uses these blessed bayonets like throwing knives. And I think he uses a magic bible to teleport. He cut a train car in half hunting us. He acts really nice and polite and then suddenly he is this manic person trying to kill you. He hates Alucard. He has killed our agents before too. He didn't care they were human. All that mattered was we were in his way." Seras's hand moved to her neck again, a thin scar still there from the blessed blade.

"Is he the priest with Sean?" Lina was eating another piece of chocolate, considering everything Seras was saying. Seras just nodded, a heavy weight dropping on Seras's shoulders. She had to keep Lina safe against the priest. "Seras...Do you want to celebrate Shab-e-yalda with me and Alucard? I fly home on the 22nd, and I really wanted to do something to celebrate with the people I care about here. Plus I mean...you're Alucard's family now so...you should come."

"If I don't have missions I should be able to come for a least a little while. But what is that?"

"Oh, it's the ancient Persian version of Christmas basically. You stay up all night partying with food, drinks, and just being with your loved ones as you wait for the longest night of the year to end. I'm going to decorate and try and make food you and Alucard can eat besides the cake. I also have to figure out what to get him as a gift since he was pouting on his birthday." Lina huffed in annoyance, not picking up another book yet.

"But you figured out how to make a cake, I mean...I was actually really happy to have a somewhat normal food to eat." Seras looked at her blood pack again, wishing it was a cake now. Or maybe a meat pie.

"I know! He was like 'That's it?'." Lina ate more chocolate, both girl slacking at this point. "What about you? What do you want for our little 'not' Christmas?"

"A meat pie."

"Oh...okay. I'll try that I guess. I don't really know how but I'm sure I can look it up. Why meat pie?" Lina scribbled on the back of her hand with a pen so she wouldn't forget.

"My Dad and I used to always eat them together." Seras said softly, reaching out and trying to stomach down a bite of chocolate. Lina looked down at her hand, realizing Seras wanted something besides the pie. Seras wanted to see her parents. Well...she'd try her best. "Maybe you could get Master something modern. He really seems to have adapted to his phone well. He always complains about being bored...so maybe a game or something to give him something to do?"

"Would it be in bad taste to get him a Castlevania game?" Lina asked, standing up to stretch her legs out and crack her back from sitting so long.

"I don't know what that is." Lina was about to explain when Seras shot her a look, Lina blushing but she picked up the hint. Don't be a know it all.

"Maybe we could play one together and you can tell me what you think?" Seras gave Lina a nod, happy that the younger girl was taking the advice to heart.

"Sure, I didn't get to play video games growing up. Might be fun." Both girls knew they weren't really getting any work done now, Seras standing up as well. "Maybe we should go to the shooting range and get you practicing on your aim."

* * *

Carfax...December 15th...earlier that day.

Anderson looked around the old property. It was a vast plot of land. Church land. And that filthy monster dared to sleep in it. They had a while to walk to reach the decaying building. Sean led the elder priest into the vampires' lair, glad they had come during the middle of the day to destroy the vampire. As they entered the chapel Sean saw that the place was empty. Only footsteps in the dust and the scent of Lina and Alucard here.

"I don't understand. Where else would he live? I swear his coffin was here last time." Sean was panicked that Anderson would punish him. The priest placed a gentle hand on Sean's shoulder.

"Calm yerself lad. If ye attacked 'im 'ere once, 'e'll hide somewhere else till 'e knows e's safe. Monsters are cowards by nature, if they 'ad any courage they'd 'ave stayed dead and faced their judgement. It be our job to send 'im to 'is judgement. But fer now lad, I ought to teach ye how to consecrate a space. It'll keep 'im from 'iding 'ere again." Anderson pulled out his bible and other supplies, going up to the altar where the coffin had once rested.

"Um..isn't that rite reserved for a bishop?"

"Ah Lad, ye been reading like I told ye. And ye be right. Which is why we 'ave a Bishop's blessing to perform it in 'is stead. Now, ye be on yer knees and start reciting the prayers, I 'ave to be doing the 'arder work of casting out the demons shadow." It was was sheer agony to be inside the building as Anderson consecrated the ground, turning it over to the divine power of God. Anderson was making this church holy ground once more, and it burned to just touch his knees to the ground. Sean was sweating and his skin was turning red as the holy powers filling the place began to push him out as an unwelcome presence. "Lad, ye best be leaving now. Ye'll be ash if ye stay in 'ere much longer. I can finish the rest." Sean turned and ran from the church, leaping from the land and panting as he tried to recover from the holy power. Eventually Anderson joined his side, helping him stand upright.

"Father Anderson...Why did it burn to be there when I can enter the chapel of the orphanage?" Sean was too weak to walk on his own, the holy energy had truly done a number on him.

"Because Lad the church we practice our prayers in is meant to welcome sinners to join the flock, it's a weaker dedication of land. Remember 'ow ye could not enter the Vatican city? That consecration is much stronger, meant to keep out all unholy beings from the seat of God's kingdom on earth. I blessed the land 'ere more in line with that son. Should the Vampire enter there, 'e'll feel the force of Gabriel's sword on 'is neck." Anderson was grinning madly as he looked towards the setting sun, eager to destroy his prey. "And as fer the witch...if she be 'is unholy whore, then she'll know where 'e be 'iding 'is coffin. Ye best prepare yerself fer what needs to be done. Only one way to deal with witches to make sure their evil magic and false gods pester the living no more."

"How is that Father?"

"Purification by fire."

* * *

Hellsing Headquarters….December 16th….3:45 am.

Lina was exhausted, this was a very long shift for her. On the target range she had let Seras and Pip put her through her paces. She wasn't great at her marksmanship with the gun, but she was definitely improving with her whip. She had tried to make it through the training course but she failed the timing portion of it. She had been ten minutes over the lowest qualifying time. She would need to get faster. Finally Seras had decided Lina had enough, the two girls retiring to the manor house to try and do more book cataloguing before sun up. Seras was starting to feel a bit tired herself as dawn approached, but Lina was already passing out. Finally the clock chimed the hour and a large black dog appeared in the room beside the two women. Lina sleepily reached out, petting the terrifying hellhound as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Good Cerberus, You're such a fluffy boy." The dog eagerly accepted more petting, panting excitedly as he was given affection.

"His name is Baskerville." Alucard corrected her as he also materialized from the shadows, the dog rubbing his heads against Lina's hand as she drifted between sleep and alertness. The creature wanting more affection.

"He's still so fluffy though." Lina looked to Alucard, a smile on her face as her eyes closed. "I'm sorry…about being a bad girl." Alucard chuckled at her, scoping the girl into his arms as she struggled to stay awake. "Night night Seras." It was mumbled all together but Seras understood, bowing her head to her Master as she walked off to her own bedroom. "Do you want me to drive us home?" She mumbled up towards Alucard even as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.

"If you drive we'd be parked in the driveway all day." He teased her, using his shadows to move the pair of them towards his home. The first rays of dawn were turning the sky from deepest black to a rich violet with the hints of gold on the horizon when they reached his home. He appeared in the living room of his home, moving to walk up the stairs to leave her in her bedroom before returning to his coffin. As he moved to open her door she protested, nuzzling his throat.

"I want to sleep next to you...please...I miss you up here by myself." He chuckled, instead moving to walk towards the master bedroom she had set aside for him. He opened the door, having not been in this room yet. She had the room wallpapered in a subtle design, the walls a rich navy blue, with strong dark wood paneling. She had picked a big four poster bed for him, the wood a dark black color with deep burgundy curtains around the bed, the curtains tied back with gold colored tassels. The windows in this room had very thick curtains as well that matched his bed. His dressers were all the same dark black color as the bed, and he even noted she had a framed picture of a very familiar landscape on the wall. It was the mountains in his homeland. On the same wall she had as framed a picture of his family crest. Alucard stopped, his grip on her tightening ever so slightly.

"When did you put those pictures in this room?" His voice was soft and full of an emotion he hadn't felt in a very long time.

"When they finished moving your furniture in. I wasn't sure if that crest was correct or not. I did my best to research it. It's where I got the idea for your room's color theme." She pulled her head from the crook of his neck, worry on her face. "Did I get it wrong?"

"No...it's the right one." He moved into the room slowly, closing the door behind him as he moved to set her on the bench that was at the foot of the bed. The room was hardwood but she had put area rugs on the floor. He sat beside her, removing his boots as she did the same. She moved towards the bathroom of his room, and she turned the water on to hot, striping down as she let the water heat up. She was too tired to care about modesty right now. Once the water was steaming she got in and started to quickly wash herself with the unscented soap in his shower. She may be tired but she needed to get the sweat off her from running around. "Can I have a shirt or something to wear...please?" She called out to him softly, feeling better as the warm water made her feel clean.

She turned off the shower and gingerly let herself out, grabbing a towel hanging in the bathroom and drying herself with it. Alucard used his shadows to retrieve her night dress, walking into the bathroom to hand it to her. It was silky to the touch, but it was a modest floor length with lace detailing. He ran his fingers through her hair, letting it down from her bun. He hated that bun with a passion. He picked her up again without waiting for her permission, but she was too tired to protest. He banished his clothes as he put them both into the bed. It was large enough that he didn't have to curl his limbs to fit. She had put much more thought into his space than he had previously thought. This room had been ready for a while but he had been completely disinterested in it since he had his coffin hidden in the basement. She had known that. She had put this much work into a room he was never going to use. But why? He put a protective arm around her as she drifted off to sleep. "Goodnight Lina."

".شب بخیر عشق من" Alucard looked at Lina, confusion on his face. She never spoke in Farsi to him. She wasn't able to speak it fluently, and she felt embarrassed that he was fluent in her native language. Yes the words themselves she would know, but she never used Farsi with him. Then it struck him what she had said. She used that title for him. He was going to ask her why when he realized she was already deep into sleep. He contemplated waking her, after all she had woken him from his slumber so many times. His free hand moved to her shoulder, intent on waking her for answers when her hand squeezed his own in her sleep, and she curled herself into him despite the cold of his flesh. He was tired. He could interrogate her after his repose.

* * *

Farsi: goodnight my love

* * *

Drymire Family Home….2 pm...December 16th

Matthew was visiting his Aunt and Uncle today, they had a box of his mother's things and they wanted him to sort through it. It was her safe deposit box which was now being released to the family as the lease was up. He was not looking forward to it at all. He hadn't really gotten to know his parents, but yet, he missed them, and this would just be more he wouldn't understand about them. Well, that wasn't quite true. He knew his father's family but...his mother's family was a mystery to him. She had been an only child, and her parents passed on fairly young. All he knew was that her family had been from America before her parents moved here. He didn't know if she had any other family in the States, or even where they had been from. Walking into the home he grew up in he saw the lock box sitting on the table with the key set to the side for him. He wasn't ready to open the box.

"Matt dear, can I convince you to join me for tea?" Jannette asked as she walked into the parol room he was waiting in. He turned to his aunt, grateful for the distraction.

"Yes please. I'm not in a rush." He followed her to the kitchen, a maid pouring out tea for them before she left the room to give them privacy. "Is it silly of me to be nervous about opening her safe deposit box? I mean, she was my mother, not some stranger and yet...it feels like I didn't know her at all."

"No dear, what is silly is thinking you didn't know her. She loved you with all her heart. She loved your father, and she hated dwelling in the past. She never told you about her family because she didn't have any that lived here. When she married your father, she became our family. She wanted to just be one of us, and then she had you and you were the center of her world. You knew the most important part about your mother Alexandra. She loved you. Whatever is in that box is her past. Don't think of it as losing that image of her as your mother, but in making that picture bigger." His aunt gripped his hand tightly as he listened to her, nodding his head as he took in her advise while sipping on his tea.

"Thank you Auntie. I just hope she would be proud of me. Sometimes I worry that my parents would be disappointed in me. Like I wasn't living up to my potential." He had been feeling this more and more since the night he fought that vampire. He had just seemed to sense the attacks coming, and it had felt so right, so natural to fight that bastard. Working at the club felt more and more like a hobby than what he should be doing.

"Is this about your lady friend Miss Integra? You too have been making quite a scene in social circles. I heard it rumored that you two have even been having a lot of outings as well beyond the galas." She was trying to not look as eager for gossip as she really was. She had a sneaking suspicion that he and Integra had been right for each other, all too pleased for having dragged him to the gala and introducing them.

"In a way yes it is." Jannette was tearing up as she smiled at him, squeezing his hand tightly as she used her other hand to smooth his hair down. "She's a truly remarkable woman, there is no way I will be good enough for her."

"That is her judgement call to make, is it not?" He chuckled, squeezing his aunt's hand as he realized she was absolutely right. He shouldn't be so worried. Integra did not suffer foolishness, so if she was done with him he would know. He stayed till after Samantha got home, spending time together before he had to get going for work. He put his mother's lock box in his car, still not ready to open it yet.

As the night wore on he just felt less and less interested in the club. His mind was on the box, and what was inside it. Thankfully his friends easily picked up his slack. He walked around, now hyper vigilant about who was in his club. What if other vampires had been just walking through here, preying on his guests? Damn it. How pointless did it feel. Helping people drink and party when they were only making themselves targets. Fists balling up tightly he felt so out of sorts. He just didn't belong here anymore. He went through the night, growing more and more unsettled with his place in the world. Why, why did everything change for him? After what seemed an eternity they had chased out the last party goers, cleaned everything down, and put away the night's earnings. He locked the door and drove home, taking the box into the living room as his housemates filed upstairs to get ready for bed. He waited till they were all asleep upstairs before he finally mustered the courage to open the box. Upon opening it he was puzzled at seeing a sheathed Bowie knife, taking it into his hands and looking for something. All he had were a set of branded initials, Q.M. He set the hunting knife aside and looked at the next item in the box. A few old black and white photos scattered among the photos of his mother. Some were of her holding him, quite a few were her and his father, and others of her as a child and her parents. There were people he didn't recognize, but as he turned the pictures over he found little descriptions of relatives he had never met. A picture of his mother sitting on horseback with a hunting rifle made him smile. He had never known she could ride or shoot.

Turning the picture over it was dated, and he noticed that it also had a location. 'Family ranch, Texas. Alexandra's first hunt.' Weird, his mother had never mentioned visiting the States before. He had always assumed she had lived in the UK. One picture was in a protective laminated coating. It was the only picture like it in the whole case. Five men were standing together, a determined set in on their faces, as if they were on grave business. Turning it over the only thing inscribed under the laminate was a date and the words, 'for Lucy'. There were letters in here as well, all of them laminated to protect them from damage. Matt read through them all. It was well into the morning when he found a letter from his mother, directly addressed to him. With trembling hands he opened it, reading his mother's final words to him. He needed to speak with Sir Integra, he needed to speak with her. Not over the phone, not in public, he needed to speak to her. He grabbed the entire box, locking it once more. He would just catch a quick nap, and then, he would demand Lina take him to see Integra.

* * *

Alucard's home….December 16th...2 pm.

Lina stretched out as she started to wake, untangling herself from Alucard's limbs and the blankets as her body demanded she attend to basic needs. She looked over, seeing him still dead asleep and she left the room as silently as she could, deciding to go use the bathroom closer to her room to not wake him. She felt amazing, she had slept so well. She always slept better next to him. A smile was on her face as she went about her routine, staying in her nightgown as she pulled on her fluffy robe to go curl up on the couch and watch tv. After an hour of just watching tv she got up to go make herself some hot chocolate and to grab her laptop, deciding she needed to start looking up meat pies so she could start trying to come up with something to make it edible. Checking the time she would have to wait another hour till it was dark enough for Alucard to wake up. She pulled out the pot she used for his food, it marked with a piece of red tape so she didn't accidentally use it for her own food. She filled it with water and set it up so the water would come to a boil slowly. Darting up to her room she grabbed her laptop, still deciding against clothes. As she came back downstairs she set up in the kitchen as her own stomach grumbled at not having food. She pulled out a pan, opened a packet of turkey bacon and cooking herself a few pieces. As she was looking up meat pie recipes she was writing on a piece of paper what ingredients it usually called for, trying to brainstorm how to adjust it to work for vampires.

A sudden wave of cold and darkness seemed to fill the house, but it didn't frighten her anymore. Alucard was awake. She stood up and checked the water, satisfied it was ready and she popped in his blood packet and warmed his bread. Her hand slipped in a second packet to warm for him. She would have to get the larger bowl for him. She opened the cabinet, trying to reach the higher level of the shelves. Why on earth did they build the shelves so high. She hopped up on the counter to grab the larger bowl. All of his dishes were bone white, while her own were solid bright colors. Sliding off the counter she set up his breakfast and her own, pouring her mango juice and toasting her own bread as she also sliced up some strawberries for herself. The pie crust should be easy enough, and she would have to take out the garlic and salt. Potatoes should be just fine, but the meat was tricky. Seras had not be able to eat raw meat like Vlad could. Well...not raw animal meat that is.

"There you'll sample Mrs. Lovett's meat pies, savoury and sweet pies as you'll see, you who eat pies, Mrs. Lovett's meat pies conjure up the treat pies used to be." She was humming the song again, thinking it very ironic.

"Singing about cannibalism again?" Alucard was sitting in the chair beside her at their breakfast table, his blood warmed up and filled his nostrils with it's pleasant aroma. He hated how domestic it all felt and yet...he ripped his bread and dipped it in, enjoying the care she took to the details of his night without being asked. He ran an hand through her hair, petting her softly.

"It's not my fault it keeps being appropriate." She pouted at him, nibbling her bacon as she was considering the meat portion of the pie. "I'm trying to make Seras a meat pie as her gift, but…I can't exactly just go out and buy a pound of ground human meat to make it with. And embalming fluids mean that I can't take it from a corpse. The blood is easy cause I just use the medical packets you guys have, take out the garlic, stuff like that. But yeah…" Lina looked at him finally, blushing as she realized she hadn't asked him yet. "I almost forgot, I invited her to join us on the 21st, is that alright with you?" He was still petting her hair as he thought it over.

"We did not finish our discussion from last night you know." She blinked as she tried to figure out what he was talking about, her eyes looking away from him as she absentmindedly picked up a strawberry.

"Oh...I thought we did." He was waiting for her to rebuke him on his behavior. "You are right. I was being stupid and I accept that I shouldn't have done it, especially behind your back. I should have asked you first if it was a good idea. You have been doing this a lot longer, I should listen to you more." She calmly spoke, popping the strawberry in her mouth as she finished. Her submissive acceptance of his order was...delightful. "Seras pointed out what an asshole I have been, and I shouldn't be such a know it all. Especially when it comes to your area of expertise. So...I'm sorry."

"If she desires to come spend the holiday in our company she may." His fledgling was growing wiser, good. He thought about Lina's inquiry, a smile on his lips. "We still have a list of names that need to be punished, I am sure that I can...liberate a few pieces that you can use for this little culinary exploit. If I can butcher a ram, this should be much easier."

"Really?" She looked excited at him solving her problems, at her needing him. "I don't want you to feel obligated." She dialed back her excitement, not wanting to make him feel like he always had to do things for her.

"Yes, why waste the meat. It would be a downright shame." He gave her a feral, toothy grin, and she giggled in delight, kissing his cheek as blood was still staining his lips crimson. He wrapped his arm around her, keeping her close. She was blushing and he could smell her sweet blood. He wanted a taste. He purred to her as he kissed at her throat, leaving blood smeared on her skin. His tongue darting out to clean it, tasting her under the blood. "Do you know what you said to me last night as you curled up in my arms?" His voice was husky and he could hear her heart beating faster. He could feel her face burning brighter with a blush. Her hands shyly resting on his shoulders. She shook her head, trying to remember what happened. "You called me your love." He teased her, expecting her to put up a big fuss at his teasing. Instead her heart beat even faster, biting her lip as she squirmed in discomfort. Before she knew what was happening he had her in his lap, her chin in his hand as he urged her to meet his eyes. "Lina?"

"I...I guess I...it's only been six months so...I don't know for sure if...I mean it's still too early to know, it takes at least 8 months to a year for the endorphin rush to stop and then I could more more objectively evaluate that." She was still unable to meet his gaze, feeling so vulnerable to him.

"If I cannot return those affections?" He asked her gently, his thumb gently rubbing her chin.

"I don't expect you to be able to return them. I just expect honesty from you." She mumbled softly, trying to hide her tears. "And mercy I guess. If you grow tired of me...I just ask you let me go before I lose a chance at any happiness." He leaned her forward and kissed her forehead, his fingers lacing with her own.

"I doubt I can give love." He spoke softly to her, that emotion was such a foreign one to him. "But I can give you my honesty, my protection, and my loyalty." She finally looked up at him, her eyes glossy with tears. Her eyes were an entrancing mix of green and brown, like grass growing after a long winter. "Would that be enough for you?" He could hear her heart skip a beat. She gave him a simple nod, almost as if in a daze. "I will expect your loyalty, your obedience, and honesty in exchange." She gave another simple nod, her heart beating so wildly in her chest he could feel it. "Do you understand what I am asking you Lina?" Her lips moved as if to speak but she dared not voice what she thought, terrified she was wrong. "Marriage in my time was a partnership for both parties to gain from. I expect you to assist me in my endeavors, and I will aid in yours." His left hand gripped her's, bringing her hand up to his chest. "Is this arrangement to your satisfaction?" With a teary smile she nodded, her heart beating so fast she thought she would faint.

"Yeah...yeah I can do that for you." She was so giddy, her head swimming with joy and she tossed herself into his arms, hugging him tightly in her delight. "Do we have a wedding or is it official just because you say so?" She teased him back, her lips seemingly affixed into a permanent smile now.

"Oddly enough, of all things a king can do, he is not allowed to officiate his own marriage." He pet her hair, grinning as her own happiness infected him. "Do you expect a ring to act as my promissory during the engagement?"

"Actually...there is a ring my great grandma left for me in her estate. It was always my favorite of her collection. She said I could have it when I graduate but, if you call my family and ask their blessing, they should give it to me." She was thinking about it, looking at his own hand. "Um...what about you? Do I get you a ring or...what is expected? I mean I know you get a wedding band, but...do I get you a promissory?"

"I shouldn't be so surprised you would know what a promissory is." He chuckled, letting her up to clean up the remains of their breakfast. She was bustling with energy and she needed to keep herself busy. "As you have no dowry to speak of, nor do I have need of one we may skip it. You have no land or title to speak of, but as I am a king it matters little your station. Your marriage to me would make you a princess by default." He watched her think that over, a bemused look on her face.

"I thought it was queen if you marry a king." She sounded curious, looking to him for explanation.

"No, I ruled and will continue to rule as a monarch. But you will be my consort, and as such, princess in title."

"Then why is it king and queen on a chess board? And in fairytales. I feel lied to." She asked with genuine indignation, pouting a bit at finding out she had been misinformed her whole life. He just chuckled at her, rubbing her head.

"I could not tell you why, when I learned how to play it was called the adviser by your countrymen." He licked his lips clean of blood before kissing her own, her pout melting back into the giddy smile. "Does being my princess displease you?" She shook her head, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him.

"So what do I give you as a promissory since we have to wait for my family to give me the ring?" He pulled her hair back from her neck, his fangs glistening in the light.

"A taste of what is mine." He felt her tremble in his arms, but she submitted to his desire. He pulled open her robe, his hand drifting over her chest, his nail gently cutting the skin and watching the blood well up. She bit her lip, stifling the pain of the small cut. His tongue was so cold and wet against her skin as he pulled her close, lapping at the blood. He moaned against her flesh, his tongue savoring willing virgin blood. It was warm, sweet, and her devotion made it all the sweeter. Her soft whines and gasps as he fed from the cut added to the luxury of virgin blood filling his mouth. She was trembling and clinging to him, her knees weak as he held her to him.

"Vlad…" She whined softly, her fingers tangling in his hair. It felt so strange, it hurt as he pulled her life blood from her, and yet, she felt so blissful in his arms. She could feel his fangs pressed against her soft skin, and her head felt like it was spinning. He pulled away, looking over her dazed face as she experienced but the tip of his appetites. Oh how he looked forward to teaching her to satisfy his needs. He cupped her head as he kissed her, swallowing her pleasured moans as she clutched him tightly. A loud knocking sound came from the front door, and he pulled from her with a snarl, running his thumb over the cut he made, his energy mending her flesh. Who dared bother him at such a time. He set her on the couch, she was much too dazed to be presentable to company. He willed his clothes to him once more, his own energy raging at having to pull from his willing prey. He opened the door, unafraid of what would be waiting for him. Oh delightful. The human Lina had lived with dared march onto his property and bang on his door.

"Oh...it's you. What do you want?" Alucard could see the young man was facing him without flinching, almost arrogantly calm before him. He almost admired this young man. But now was not the time.

"Why do you have blood on your face? And where is Lina?" Alucard ran his tongue over his lips, realizing he did indeed have her blood still. He gave Matthew a crimson smile as he chuckled, seeing the young man grow more agitated as he put together puzzle pieces. "I need Lina to take me to see Integra, I have something important to talk to her about in person. Now where is she?" The young man tried to look inside past Alucard, but the vampire easily blocked the doorway.

"She is indisposed at the moment. If you truly wish for us to take you to see Master Integra then you can wait till she and I are ready to go to work." Alucard spoke calmly, daring the young man to challenge him.

"I want to see that my friend is okay." Matt spoke firmly, suddenly wishing he had brought the hunting knife with him instead of leaving it in the lock box. Alucard narrowed his eyes at the young man, ready to close the door in his face when Lina appeared behind him her robe pulled closed and she seemed less dazed but still flushed. She gave Matt a smile, her eyes focusing on him. She tilted her head in curiosity at his new demeanor. "Lina, he drank your blood didn't he." He charged as he saw her state.

"Matt...I'm not going to be turned into a vampire. Vlad and I both agree that would be a bad Idea, I mean I could never eat Italian food again if I did. He was just having breakfast. Donated blood packets. Please just chill out. We had a late night. I was up till like 7 am. I'm not completely used to these hours yet. I mean I am a night owl but this was like legit hard work, not binge eating chips and video games." She lied easily, her hand gripping Alucard's, and he held in his smirk. She would be a good partner. "If you want to come in, I can make coffee or something and then I need to get dressed, we have to go to work again since I am being forced to do more field exercises." Matt narrowed his eyes, but she did have a point. Lina was always out of it when she didn't sleep well.

"Sorry for the accusation. I was out of line. May I please come in. I really do want to speak with Integra in person." He waited on the vampire to make a choice.

"Yeah, that actually makes things easier since I left my car there this morning. I was in no shape to drive home. I mean we have to blindfold you since you can't know where the estate is without Director Wingates giving the proper security clearance. But I'll text Walter just so they don't shoot you at the gate." She looked up to Alucard, curious as to what he was going to do. When Alucard nodded he stepped aside, letting Matthew into his home. "So what can I get you?"

"Just some water, I don't need any more caffeine in my system." Alucard locked the door after letting him inside, Lina darting down the hallway towards the kitchen to grab water as Alucard took Matthew into the living room, turning on the news to watch as the man sat there awkwardly in the home. "Wow, this place certainly looks vintage."

"Congratulate the lady of the house, she selected most of it." Alucard commented casually, licking his lips to taste the traces of Lina's blood as she came back with a cup of water for their guest and also a bowl of pistachios and a small plate. "She pays very thorough attention to detail." He complimented her as she came into the room, seeing her blush while setting the refreshments for their guest. "I can handle entertaining him from here, go and get yourself ready." She gave her friend a reassuring smile as she darted upstairs to get into her uniform. Matt was studying the two of them, noticing Lina's seemingly delighted face at nothing in particular. Once she was out of ear shot Alucard crossed his legs and put his hands in his lap, evaluating the man before him. "I should let it be known, that I have been in Integra's service since she was a small girl. I take very great interest in matters relating to her. So tell me boy...what business do you have with my dear Master?" It was strange to Matt. Alucard referred to Integra as master but yet, there was almost a fatherly tone to it.

Matt said nothing, feeling the vampire trying to impose his aura on him, but he wouldn't back down. He said nothing, and kept eye contact with Alucard. Unfortunately he was unprepared for the vampire to probe his mind. His secret was laid bare before the monster. Alucard's red eyes narrowed as he evaluated the information, a wicked, inhuman grin splitting his face as he began to laugh at it all. His little human brought so many interesting things into his unlife.

**Chapter End**


	31. Pirithous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning

December 20th…Village of Staithes…5:38pm

Staithes was a small town, with a population of less than two hundred, and if reports were to be believed, at least fifty of them were ghouls. The ghouls were lumbering around now that the sun had set. Hellsing was on the move, Lina and Seras sitting in an assault vehicle with Pip and other Geese across from them on the seats. Lina was listening to her music as the convoy moved towards the town. Earlier that day she had happily called her mom and told her that she would be on a flight home on the 22nd. Her mother had been less enthusiastic about the news of her engagement. Thankfully her grandmother had quickly shut down her mother's complaints as Alucard had spoken in Farsi with the matriarch of the family. He had even changed his looks to appear a decade younger when the family had demanded a video call to meet him. She had felt a bit awkward as the call dragged on, only picking up on key words in the conversation between Alucard and her grandmother. They made Alucard promise she would graduate from college if he was allowed to marry her. They tried to get him to come as well, but he had delicately explained that he had to work through the holidays. He promised to visit them during the summer. Her heart fluttered wildly at the realization he was serious about going through with this.

Seras was trying to not listen along with Lina's music but her vampire hearing was exactly that. The songs were catchy, but not her preference especially since they seemed in such bad taste for the mission. Pip pulled out the field map of the town. The two of them as the highest ranking members on this mission, aside from Alucard, were in charge of coming up with their attack plan. It was going to be a standard blockade to prevent witnesses from leaving without being handled, advance teams to go in and try and take out ghouls and hunt the vampire, a rear guard to catch any ghouls that slipped through and to try and minimize civilian casualties. Pip, Seras, and Alucard would all be part of the advance teams. Lina being grouped with Seras, Pip and some hand selected members of the geese, and Alucard all on his own. Alucard was actually expected to be there now since he always traveled via his own means.

Lina was trying to focus on calming herself down. She was terrified about making it out alive. She was no match for Anderson. He was a threat even for Alucard, how could she hope to compete. She and Seras would just have to try and avoid him. Sean was unpredictable, would he want Alucard or would he come after her? Her hand reached for her whip at her side and her gun, loaded with the new bullets Walter had given her. She didn't worry about concealing them anymore, even if Integra found out Lina didn't care. Lina held on tightly to the crystal around her throat and squeezed it with the other hand. The extra energy Alucard had given her now stored in it. She was starting to worry that his energy might have effects on her, like the kicking fit on her last field mission. Maybe she should put his energy into her weapon instead of herself? Well, she could deal with that after this mission was over.

"Lina move forward so I can watch your six. The Geese encountered hostiles after we swept through the main street, the ghouls seem to be in clusters coming down alleyways." Lina nodded, jogging ahead of Seras and trying to reach out her senses as far as she could to be aware of oncoming threats. An echoing gunshot louder than she was used to came from her left, making her pivot and stare in the direction of the sound, trying to assess if she was in danger or not. "Alucard's Jackal, it's pretty distinct. He might have already found the target if he is using it. He's supposed to be sweeping the perimeter to prevent ghouls getting outside the quarantine zone. He's way too close." There was the implication in Seras's voice that Lina was the reason he was not following the plan, he was trying to wipe out the threat. Part of Lina was happy to know he was protecting her and the other part was worried about how much yelling Integra was going to do at her for him disobeying. "Keep left, the cars on the right provide to much cover for ghouls." Lina nodded and followed Seras's suggestions. There was a metallic scraping sound that echoed in the empty street, both women turning to face the sound, Seras going pale at the sight. In the center of the street behind them stood a lone figure with two very long bayonets in his hands under the street light.

"Ye wee lasses seem lost, lucky fer ya the lord is our shepherd, and I the blade to send ye to 'im." Suddenly there were multiple flashes of light as the blades were tossed towards the girls. A gunshot rang out, two bodies thudding to the floor with blood gushing from the wounds. Lina rushed to Seras's side as she put her gun back, seeing the blades embedded in Seras's body. Lina ripped them out and tossed the blades aside before helping Seras stand, bearing as much of the vampire's weight as she could as she moved towards a buildings in the direction Alucard's gun shoot were. Lina had to leave the cannon behind because she wasn't going to be able to carry it.

"We just got attacked by Anderson! Everyone get away from the center of town!" Making the distress call into the radio communicator Lina ducked into the first open door and kicked it shut behind her as she tried to get Seras to a safe space to recover. "He is not going to be happy when he finally stands up again." Lina ignored the blood soaking into her clothes, more worried about getting stabbed herself.

"H-H-how?" Seras coughed up some blood as she tried to speak.

"I shot him in the balls." Lina answered back quickly, moving to the back of the store and exiting out the back entrance to keep moving.

"..."

"Yeah, it was the only thing I could think of to keep him down long enough for us to get away." Lina knew that a normal guy would be useless from the sheer pain of being shot there, she hoped that his regenerating wouldn't erase that pain too quickly. "Seras, I know you are in an ass ton of pain right now but I need you to try and stop bleeding. It's going to lead him right to us no matter where we go." A ghoul was hanging out of a dumpster in the alleyway, it's dented skull suggesting it had fallen inside the dumpster from the open window. Maybe the victim had tried to jump to safety?

"I don't know how to stop it." Seras choked out, tears running down her cheek and she was wincing in pain as she was dragged by Lina, the difference in their heights agitating her wounds. "Master hasn't gotten to that yet." Seras whispered as she was getting a bit tipsy from blood loss. The ghoul in the dumpster seemingly more motivated at the sound of them talking. There was a thud as the ghoul crawled out of the dumpster, its legs shattered so it couldn't jump but it was crawling at them viciously fast. "Shit." Lina hissed, unable to reach for her gun while carrying Seras. A surge of adrenaline coursed through Lina's body, and she ran faster down the alley, dragging Seras with her to the open door at the back of the store.

The crystal was resting against her skin as her heart rate soared, sounding like a dinner bell, more groans rising up. Getting through the entrance Lina tossed Seras to the floor so she could turn around and shut the door, Seras gasping in pain. The ghoul slammed into the door as it clicked into place, Lina struggling to hold it, but the sound of splintering wood as the thing clawed at the door told her it was about to break through. She pulled her gun out, jumping away from the door as the ghoul caved the bottom of the door in, shooting in rapid fire succession till the ghoul turned to dust. Breathing heavily and still in the depths of the fight or flight response Lina's mind tuned out the chatter coming through the radio in her attempt to escape, not hearing Alucard's repeated demands for her position or Pip ordering his men to reorganize from a retreat to filling in Alucards role of keeping ghouls from escaping and dragging out what survivors they could. She moved over towards Seras, hearing more ghouls heading their way, and Seras still bleeding pretty badly. She put her radio on mute so it's sounds wouldn't draw more attention.

"Either Anderson is really bad at aiming and missed your heart and head on accident, or he's just a sadist and missed on purpose to make it painful for you." Lina pulled her necklace off and wrapped the chain around her wrist as she pressed the crystal to the lacerated flesh of Seras' stomach. She closed her eyes and focused on trying to visualize the human body diagrams in her textbooks for anatomy class and on pushing the energy from the crystal into Seras to at least stop the bleeding. Seras was hissing in pain as her flesh started to mend itself together, her body tingling as every nerve in her body woke up and responded to the massive influx of energy. As soon as Lina couldn't see any more open wounds Lina forced herself to pick Seras up again having Seras's body slung over her shoulder, leaving an arm free to grab her gun and evaluating the space they were in. It looked like the back room of a store, which made sense since this was the business center of town. Moving forward Lina opened the door into the main store front filled with racks of clothing and bric a brac. It looked like a second hand store and seeing nothing there of use, moving yet again to exit out the front and hopefully further away from Anderson.

"Lina...You have to leave me here and go, I'm slowing you down." Seras groaned out softly, even with the injuries healed the holy blades had done a lot of damage that Lina just didn't have the time to fix.

"I've seen war and zombie movies, let's just cut to the part where I ignore you anyway and find us a way out of this." Lina's back was really starting to hurt but she wasn't going to be that kind of person, even if Seras was already technically dead she was Lina's friend. "And before you start going all loopy and asking philosophical questions, shut up. I need to hear." The two stood in silence and Lina listened for anything inside the clothing racks, walking carefully through the widest path in the store. As they reached for the door Lina stopped, glaring at the door as if was at fault for her situation. The door was closed, but on the other side was a huddle of ghouls feasting on something small based on how close together they were, but there was a literal bell over the door that would chime. She was searching for another way out when the sound of a door being kicked in rang out, ragged breathing following behind with a limping gait.

"Lass, Aye ye be owing me an apology fer that, best be making amends befer aye send ye to the Lord." Lina felt the blood drain from her face, hoping she would have had more time to escape. She hated her next plan but it was all she had. Gripping the crystal again she just hoped it gave her the boost she needed. She shot out the window to the store, glass raining down. The ghouls all turned from their meal and rushed towards the source of the stimulus their rotted brains recognized. Lina ran through the open window as fast as she could, heart racing but her speed ramped up from the crystal and the desperate need to escape. "Lass! Ye be getting on ma nerves!" The ghouls were torn between the two sources of food, the large man or the two fleeing women. The group split, acting as a small blockade between Anderson and his real targets.

"Lina…" Seras sounded panicked as she could see the ghouls gaining on them and hear Anderson's bayonets slicing through the ghouls in the shop.

"He's like a fucking hulk, the angrier he gets, the more scottish his speech." Lina huffed as she tried to find someplace to go. Did it make perfect sense? No. Did it make her feel better? No. But she didn't know what else to say to keep her mind from giving up and just letting death come for her. "Athena help me!" She offered up as her prayer, her breathing heavy and she was starting to slow even as the ghouls seemed to be running faster. She wasn't going to be able to keep this up. She needed a stop the ghouls chasing them. But she couldn't do anything with her hands full of an injured vampire and a magic rock.

"Lina give me your gun!" Seras quickly grabbed Lina's gun as the girl passed it to her, shooting the pursuing ghouls and giving Lina the chance to slow down and catch her breathe.

"Do you see him?" Lina was realizing now why the training course had times for passing now. Her lungs were burning.

"No...I don't see him." Seras groaned as Lina lowered her onto the ground.

"What should we do now?" Lina was daydreaming about her water bottle back in the truck.

"Radio for a pick up and stay out of the way." Lina was turning her radio back on, looking around for the street name, or other landmarks. She called in their location, waiting for a response. "I'm glad you didn't leave me back there."

"I can't leave my friends to die. I may have froze up when Seth and I got attacked by a werewolf, but I got no excuses now. Besides I still owe you a pie." The girls were relieved as they heard the assault vehicle driving up. Seras feeling well enough to stand on her own, both rushing as the back opened up, armed men ushering them inside and they slumped in exhaustion as the doors shut and they started driving back out towards the field command tent. The driver was calling in the extraction when suddenly Lina felt a tingle down her spine. "Get down!" The entire group hit the deck as blades skewered the vehicle like it was a pin cushion. The back doors swinging open as the driver sped up, everyone screaming as they saw Anderson running towards them, bayonets in his hands. The men started shooting wildly at the crazy priest, Seras wishing her had the cannon now. She picked up an unused assault rifle, fighting for her life and her troops lives.

Lina was petrified with fear. Shit, and she had just said she wasn't going to freeze anymore. It was like slow motion as she saw Anderson tense his arm, pulling it back like he was pitching a baseball. "Incoming!" She shouted, it was all she could do. It was too late, the blades were released from his hand. Her short life passed before her eyes, and as it came to it's conclusion she realized,  _'Oh fuck here comes the part where I get stabbed!'_  The sound of gunfire was deafening but they only managed to stop a few of the blades, the rest still on course for them. Suddenly a black cloud swarmed between them. That shadowy mass solidifying into Alucard as the blades pierce the darkness. He stopped most of them but two still hit the tires of their vehicle, the driver being forced to stop as the road burst out in sparks as the axels ground into the roadway without the protective rubber.

"Quick evacuate before we get pinned here!" Seras took command, everyone getting out as quickly as they could, the smell of gasoline filling the air. "Get clear, it could blow!" The Geese were already ahead of them. Seras and Lina bringing up the rear. Seras due to her injuries, and Lina due to her lack of field readiness. "Follow the road, only stopping to rescue civilians at this point, move out!" The men ahead of them acknowledged the orders, Lina feeling a stitch in her side as she kept pushing herself to run. Note to self, running and jogging, nowhere near the same thing! The first blockade finally came into view, Lina delirious with joy at the prospect of not running anymore. She was almost safe, almost in the clear. A tug on her energy made her stop, feeling for what it was. Seras turned on her feet to look back at Lina, thinking she had just reached her limit. "We have to keep moving, come on, push through it."

"I think someone is out here." She wheezed out, the tug on her energy stronger and more desperate now. "Seras...I think there is a survivor somewhere close by." Lina closed her eyes, trying to focus on the distressed energy. She pointed towards the buildings behind them, that was where the energy was coming from. "In there. Someone is in there." Seras looked at the small one story home Lina pointed at.

"Alright, I'll go get them, you keep moving." Lina nodded, thankful Seras believed her. Taking deep breaths Lina started to walk again, Seras rushing to the house as her abilities were coming back as the holy blades effects wore off. Lina was so tired, this was way to stressful. Lina was so unfocused she never felt the energy approach, and by the time she did it was too late. Arms had her gripped tightly, a hand covering her mouth as the other quickly swatted her weapons away. It was sickening as suddenly she was being carried through the air, gun shots whizzing by her and her captor. She started to thrash, trying to fight back, but it was useless, the person was too strong. She was getting dizzy and she couldn't fight the sudden wave of nausea as she was overcome by motion sickness. The person was digging claws into her skin as they carried her away.

"Unless you want to fall to your death, stop struggling." Sean's voice snarled to her, and anger filled her heart as she realized what had just happened. She was his prisoner. She stopped fighting, focusing her energy to the crystal on her neck, trying to reach Alucard, trying to let him know she was in danger. She had no idea how far they traveled, or where she was, but it couldn't be good for her. Sean tossed her to the floor of the building they were in. She cried out, feeling her wrist twist at the angle she fell on it. Standing she turned to face him, leveling an angry glare at him.

"What the fuck Sean! Why are you doing this!" He delivered a slap to her face, sending her to the ground as she hissed in pain, her face would be bruised from this.

"Shut up demon whore! You vile wicked witch from the pits of hell!" He snarled at her, his wolf energy struggling against the hold of his human flesh. "You did this to me!"

"You did it to yourself! I made the spell just to see if I could, I never intended it to be used! You're the idiot that went and performed a spell while having no understanding of what it was you were doing. I begged you to leave my stuff alone, I begged you to stop it, but you had to prove it wasn't real and look what happened. Don't blame me for your own bullshit!" She cried out as he kicked her leg, feeling intense pain in her shin. Sean pinned her to the ground, snarling as he felt his anger build more and more.

**(Trigger warning!)**

"Shut up witch! You turned down my advances at every turn! You refused my needs and desires but yet you spread your legs for Satan himself!" Sean had nothing on him to hold back his wolf, just his own will. His hands grew into claws and he ripped at her uniform. If she was going to let that corpse fuck her, he was going to have a go. Instead of screams and pleas for mercy she kicked at him with her combat boots, fighting back even though she was getting clawed in her struggles. Sean had to be quick, he had to finish before Father Anderson came, the priest may hate witches, but Sean doubted the man would be alright with this. "Come on, I'm sure my cock will feel better than his rotting flesh." Lina was still fighting, she was punching, kicking, she even bit at him. Anything to get him off. But in the end it was pointless. He grabbed her neck and slammed her into the floor, and if she had been able to think she would realize she had a concussion. Her hands tried to push his hands away from her throat, tears running down her cheeks as he ripped her top, pawing at her breasts, leaving marks and cuts on her sensitive skin. She refused to feel weak, she refused to let him make her feel powerless. Her tried to punch his face, but it didn't change anything. Her pants were gripped and then yanked down her thighs, an agonized scream as his claws raked down her thighs. The scent of blood filled the room, And it only made him more excited. Lina shut her eyes, refusing to let him win. He forced himself between her thighs, letting himself out as he laughed, he would show that vampire! "I bet I'm bigger than him. I'll make you scream like he never could!" Lina bit her lip so hard she drew blood, trying her best to not sob at the sheer agony as Sean violated her.

His wolfish maw gripped her arm, biting so hard that they could both hear bones breaking. Lina had tossed her arm up to block him from sinking his teeth into her throat. He rammed his hips forward, intent of showing his power only for him to feel an agony so horrible he jumped away, howling as he was tortured with searing misery. Lina silently sobbed as Sean quickly abandoned her to try and end his own suffering. Liquid silver nitrate was dripping from between her thighs, mixing with her blood as she cradled her bitten right arm. Thankfully she had followed protocol for female field agents. Spiked condoms with a layer of liquid silver that broke upon penetration. Super uncomfortable to wear but she was grateful for it now.

**(end trigger warning)**

"I'm so sorry Vlad...I tried...I tried so hard...I couldn't stop him from biting me." She whimpered softly into the crystal she was clutching, draining the last of the energy from it to heal what injuries she could for herself. The sound of Seans tortured howls as the liquid silver soaked into his flesh her only consolation. He was trying to remove the device as she pulled her pants back up and tried to close her top, searching for a way to escape while he was busy. Blood was trailing behind her as she moved away, some of the injuries still not healed but she was out of energy at this point. She braced herself against the wall, grabbing the tattered fabric of her top, fastening a makeshift sling and to give herself more modesty.

She moved towards the door as Sean was still howling as he failed to remove the spikes. Silver getting into his flesh and burning his hands while he tried to yank it off. She was almost at the door! Her intact arm reaching out for the handle. Opening the door she made to dart out only for a dark shadow to cast itself over her small form. She looked up, trembling as she looked into manic blue eyes. Anderson looked down at her, taking in her bloodied, disheveled state, and looking to Sean who was sobbing as he finally freed himself from the device. His manic predatory grin fell, knowing what had transpired while he was gone.

"Aye told 'im to remove 'is restraints, should 'ave realized 'e couldn't be alone with ye while 'e was like that. But it seems ye came prepare ta defend yerself." The priest stepped into the room, his hand on her uninjured shoulder firmly. He directed her back into the room with a tight grip. "But ye reap what ye sow. Fornicating with one demon, ye cannot be whore to one and deny others."

"How dare you!" Lina slapped the priest with every ounce of strength she could muster, her left hand aching as it was like hitting a brick wall. Her pain, anguish, and righteous indignation numbing her to the pain. Her slap left a bright red mark on his face, but he showed little reaction beyond squeezing her shoulder tighter. "You don't have any right to say that! You don't know anything about me!"

"All aye need ta know is that ye be a witch and a whore fer the enemy of God." He said pointedly. "Now then we need be 'aving a chat about where that vampire be sleeping." Lina was horrified at how callously he treated her. Eyes narrowing as she squared her shoulders as best she could through her physical discomfort. Her face was swelling from the slap Sean had given her. Most of the energy had gone to healing the bite on her arm.

"I'm not going to tell you anything." Lina hissed, pulling herself from Anderson's grasp, refusing to be treated like this.

"Aye figured ye wouldn't willingly witch." He opened the bag some more, Lina's eyes widening as she realized exactly what was happening. "But aye 'ave dealt with yer kind before. Eventually the Lord will compel ye to confess." He pulled out a series of very long, thin, silver needles. "Aye merely be the instrument to that end."

"It's pointless to ask me anything. Vlad will know what you are doing. He'll move his coffin long before you get there." She was trying to be brave, trying to ignore the hysterics she was about to burst into.

"And why da ye think 'e would know?"

"Because he was the sword of the church long before you were. He shed his blood, and that of his countrymen for the Catholic church long before you existed. He knows you'll torture me. And he knows how you will do it. There is nothing you will do to me he has not done in the name of your church. But there is one massive difference between you and him." She was not ready to die, but she wouldn't give this sadist the satisfaction or betray Alucard.

"And what be that witch?" Anderson was almost amused at her trying to derail the inquisition.

"He could think for himself." She was confident that would sting this man's pride.

"Ye be right witch, 'e cannot surrender ta God's plan fer us all. That be why 'e be a monster, all ye devil worshippers think that thinking is what the Lord intended fer us all." He pulled out a length of rope, moving towards Lina, the girl scampering backwards in fear. "If the Lord 'ad wanted us to question the divine plan, the Lord would not 'ave forbid the tree of knowledge. Free thinking be what led Lucifer ta the fall, and will be yer own undoing as well. God demands obedience, and aye be following 'is orders." Lina tried to turn and run, but Anderson easily bound her in the rope. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." ( Exodus 22:18)

* * *

Village of Staithes

Alucard could feel the sting of each blade as it skewered his body, the rush of battle filling his dark heart with glee. He heard Lina screaming as the car was still struck, but Seras picked up the slack and moved the troops out of the battle zone. The priest continued his charge, punching the vampire hard enough to send him to the street. Dissolving into shadows the used bayonets clattered to the ground as Jackal was pointed at the priest. Shots rang out but each bullet being deflected by the holy blades. Anderson pulled out a ward, tossing it at the vampire as he began to retreat further into the town. Alucard shot the paper. It shredding into pieces, destroying the sealing powers of the ward, and Alucard giving chase to the priest. Blood lust filling both men's eyes. Alucard leapt into the air and dived towards Anderson, letting his body morph into a swarm of bats, encircling the priest in a tightening circle of inhuman shrieks. Anderson slashed and hacked through the swarm, each swing of his blades sent blood raining down on the pavement, it growing slick. Suddenly from the shadowy mass encircling Anderson let out a diabolical laugh echoed out, the blood on the ground turning to shadows before becoming the arms of the damned reaching up to hold Anderson in place for Alucard to deliver the death blow.

"I hope meeting your God is everything you dreamed of!" Alucard's face emerged from the writhing shadows, pressing the end of Jackal against Anderson's forehead. The heat from the gun sizzled against the skin.

"I 'ave no fear of meeting ma maker." Alucard's grin stretched even wider, his finger getting ready to pull the trigger. "I'll even offer up a prayer fer ye and yer little witch." Alucard's smile fell and the shadows moved to swallow Anderson even deeper.

"Explain yourself Judas Priest."

"Ye haven't been listening to yer radio. She's already been grabbed away from yer other harlot." Alucard snarled as he pulled the trigger, but it didn't work as the Priest had tossed down his Bible and a swarm of pages blocked it and forced back Alucard's shadows. Alucard kept firing at the retreating form of his opponent.

"Get back here Palladian! Your fight is with me!" It was too late, the man had gone. Alucard rushed towards where Seras had been taking her group. Seras was carrying a hysterical man towards the check point, the smell of gunpowder filling the air as everyone seemed to be looking off to where Lina had been taken, a smaller reconnaissance vehicle already revving up and on the move in that direction. Lina's gun and whip laid on the pavement, and his blood boiled as he smelt that wretched wolf. How dare that worthless boy dare take his property! There were little droplets of her blood drying on the pavement, he pressed his finger to it, tasting her blood. He followed the trail, uncaring about the orders pouring in from radio. He crushed it. The target of his hunt had changed. Following the blood droplets left behind was making him more aggravated, every drop mocking his promise to her.

"Wait! Master Alucard! It's my job to keep her safe!" His lips turned up in a soft smile as his fledgling rushed up behind him, bringing with her more bullets for his guns, and her cannon. He also noticed a medical kit strapped across his fledglings back.

 _'I'm so sorry Vlad...I tried...I tried so hard...I couldn't stop him from biting me.'_  Lina's voice crossed his mind, and he could hear her distress. He tried to trace the connection back to her but the connection cut as the energy was used up. He needed to reach Lina soon. She put her trust in his vows, he would make good on his word.

"Seras...When we find her, you get her to safety. The kill is mine." His voice dipped into that terrifyingly calm rage of his. Seras nodded, running up ahead as she caught hold of the next cluster of blood droplets under the moonlight. Alucard easily passed her as he took up the hunt again. He could imagine what Father Anderson would do. She wouldn't be able to withstand the torture. But hopefully she would last long enough for him to prevent the execution. His mood did not improve, and the heavens themselves were clouded with his simmering wrath. Dangerous rolls of thunder rumbled out like the roars of a beast, lightning darting across the sky in the direction he traveled.

* * *

Hellsing Headquarters...10 pm.

"I don't care what time it is there! Two of his men have kidnapped one of our operatives! This is completely unacceptable!" Integra was livid as she waited for the bureaucrat to connect her with Father Maxwell. The mission report had just come in, the troops on their way back minus Lina, Seras, and Alucard. There were also reports of a localized thunderstorm moving rapidly across the countryside, allowing Captain Bernadotte and a small support team to give chase after the vampires. This had been what she feared. Anderson was trying to goad Alucard into fighting, and had dragged her people into the cross-hairs.

She should have kept the blasted girl on the manor grounds to keep going through training. Walter brought her water, a shot of brandy, and a pain reducer for the headache this was creating. She took the pill, chasing it with water, but she kept the brandy. This was going to be a very aggravating night. The phone was kept on speaker as she paced to the large windows of her office, overlooking the gardens of the estate before looking off into the distance where the training course was visible beyond the barracks. The soft chorus singing as she waited for the line to be connected was obnoxious to her as she thought through the implications this would have on the the treaty with the Vatican. Why, why did this have to happen?

A few of the security team could be seen patrolling the estate. A few guards were at the training field, watching the new recruit run through the course at Sir Integra's request. He was doing a fair job so far. He had already run the course two times, each time his scores improving. Raw talent but it wasn't the same kind of technical skill as other transfers from other defense positions, or even like the mercenary lot. Matt was sweating profusely in the combat gear, his heart pounding in his ears as he pushed himself through the course again. It felt good. It felt right. It felt fantastic as he shot through the target and moved on to the next room. It was taking time for him to adjust to the gun since he hadn't used one before, but he was learning quickly.

He had his hair buzz cut when he'd been given his training uniform, the red ends of his hair gone, and he would miss them. But vanity wasn't going to get in the way of what he was meant to do. Integra was keeping his training off book for now. Wanting to see if he had what it takes to join her organization. He had understood. Their families connection would only grant him so much leeway. His great-uncle's legacy could only carry him so far. He had to show it was in him and not just a fluke. He would make his family proud of him.

* * *

Undisclosed location...11 pm

Anderson was glaring at the unconscious body slumped in the chair in front of him. The girl had gone catatonic after a few needles, she cried out and responded to pain, but mentally she had checked out, interrogation would no longer be a useful avenue. There was blood starting to stain her clothes, and he mildly wondered if maybe she had gone into shock from blood loss. It did not matter now. She would die tonight.

"Lad, pause in yer repentance, it's time to move 'er to the stake." Anderson did not trust Sean to touch her again. The young man had been praying in the corner, doing his penance for his sinful actions. Sean's hands ached from passing over each and every rosary bead. The young man was not well, the silver had done a lot of damage and even though he had washed it off it was still dampening his powers. "Grab the gasoline." Sean moved to obey, picking up the canisters as he followed Anderson outside. They walked towards the wooden pole, its base raised up to give room for them to stack the tinder below her. She was tied to the stake, her head rolled forward towards the ground, her face pale and her eyes glossy. It would be best she not wake for this. "To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 1:15) If he believed she would convert from her heathen beliefs he would feel more than apathy for her. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Romans 5:19) Securing her tightly he helped stack the logs at the base. "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. (Isaiah 13:9) For the Lord will cast 'is judgement on ye, aye send ye to the Lord. May God 'ave mercy on yer treacherous heathen soul. Amen."

Sean opened the gasoline container, pouring the entire canister over the logs before opening the next one. The fuel's scent filled his nose, making him a bit nauseous but he obeyed, the logs soaked in the accelerant now. A flash of light illuminated the sky, followed by a bellowing roar of thunder. Sean swore his mind was playing tricks on him, that roar sounded like someone was yelling Anderson.

"Ye best be running lad. This fight be mine. The children will be needed a familiar face in the morning should Aye be running a wee bit late." Sean didn't want to run, didn't want to flee, but as Anderson tossed him the small silver beaded rosary he understood. He needed to obey. Sean took off running, knowing the priest would be alright. Anderson watched Sean leave, a sinister grin splitting his face as he gazed into the distance at the unholy storm. Another flash of lightning filled the sky, the rumbling thunder seemed to rouse Lina from her catatonic state. She looked up groggily at the sound, struggling to focus on anything. She saw Anderson, attempting to move away only to find herself securely fastened to a wooden pole. Glancing downwards Lina groaned in dismay as she realized that she had literally gone from the frying pan and into the fire.

"Hanging is more humane you know, a lot faster." She pointed out as the priest pulled his bayonetts out, his eyes focused on the storm.

"If ye were human that might have mattered."

"He's going to win you know." She was going to make it through this, she could feel him getting closer. "I mean...that's his power right there, that storm. Not to be a heretic but if God was really angry about him existing, wouldn't God have stopped him from literally controlling the weather. Maybe it's God's plan that he keeps existing. Keep giving him chances to follow through the same mission you are." She needed to keep Anderson's attention on her so Alucard could gain as much ground in his charge as possible.

"God's mission is not to cover the world in hellfire and sin witch." Anderson didn't even turn to glance at her.

"No, but neither is my Vlad's. He-"

"Whore, shut yer mouth. The devil is talk, God responds to actions."

"Okay first off fuck you! I am not a whore!" She struggled against the rope, trying to find the knot and loosen it. "Secondly, aren't you supposed to give me a chance to reform to the church."

"Ye would not take it, nor would ye mean it."

"Then by my many pagan gods, may you taste defeat at the end of my fiance's sword." She spat out at him. Just a little longer, Alucard likely could see her now. Anderson tossed his head back and finally started to cackle.

"Oh that be rich, ye think yer false gods will give yer demon lover the strength to overcome the will of God." Anderson spun on the heel of his foot, bayonet in hand as he slammed the blessed blade into the wood of the stake above her head. "Tell ye what ye filthy Lilith. I'll scatter yer ashes together once I finish." Lina was glad she was bound, she would have collapsed to her knees if she hadn't. Taking a steadying breath she looked behind him, gusts of wind starting to blow towards them.

"No, my gods might not help him, but maybe your angel Samael will." The soul chilling howl of Alucard's hell-hound traveled on the wind, Anderson leaving the bayonet in the wood above her.

"Ah ye wretched sinner, may yer petty insults keep ye company on yer travels." Anderson pulled back from looming over her, striking his bayonets together, the sparks catching on the gasoline soaked wood. With a violent burst the flames sprang to life, lapping easily at her as the roaring winds only fed the voracious consumption of the accelerant. Lina screamed out with terror, struggling to escape. It was maliciously bright as the flames danced around her. The scent of burning wood, of toxic fumes, and rain laden wind rushing past her. Renewing her struggles she ignored the pain from the barely scabbed over cuts and her possibly broken wrist and bitten arm. Blood welling up again as she strained her injuries. She was trying to hold her breath, but the heat from the flames was making her sweat and her uniform was getting uncomfortably hot. She wouldn't get the luxury of suffocating to death, at this rate she would have the grave misfortune to actually burn to a crisp.

Anderson was forced away from her as bullets began to pierce the wood the priest had been standing on. Lina couldn't see anything beyond the wall of dancing light, and if she hadn't been inside it she would have admired it greatly. Lightning flashed and rumbling thunder seemed to make the wood tremble it was so loud. Rain started to fall in heavy sheets, but the accelerant fueled flames were undeterred by the water, it hissing as they touched. It did however keep the flames lower, the smoke being caught up by the water and taken to the earth. She believed in him, she had to have faith Alucard would keep his promise and he would protect her. Shutting her eyes tight against the painful heat of the fire she tried reaching out with her mind, hoping that she would not be seeing Hades so soon. There was howl that seemed to answer her prayers, and she looked towards it, seeing the many red eyes of Alucard's familiar. The massive dog was on the edge of the flames. White glossy fangs reflecting the light. The dog leapt into the air, and there was a sudden explosion where the dog had just been. A hail of mud and dirt was kicked up in the blast, it scattering destructively, and deadly fast towards her. Lina braced herself for the new wave of agony when suddenly she felt strong arms around her, a large body looming over her own, and a blissful chill as she was enveloped into this dark embrace. The rain and shower of mud quenching the flames, boots kicking away the few remaining from beneath her. She looked up, expecting the Count to be there as Alucard fought the priest. But no, Alucard had been the one shielding her, and whose hand shredded the ropes binding her, allowing her to collapse into his hold. He pet her singed hair, his eyes looking into her own as his voice gently invaded her mind.

 _'You are bleeding.'_  He pulled her to her feet away from the ruined pyre. The torrent of rain almost like a protective cover for them as he waited for the fumes to leave her. She would need more of his energy to be healed.

 _'I'm sorry...I fought him...I just couldn't stop it.'_  She was starting to cry, she was letting go of her need to seem strong as she felt safety with his dark aura cloaking them as Anderson fought the Count. "I promised I would stay human...but...I-I...I got bitten. Please don't leave me."

"If I had protected you better it would not have happened." Alucard could smell the wolf on her, reaching down and collecting some of her blood and bringing it to his lips. His hand clenched as he could taste the change in her blood. "I will have his head for this."

"Vlad...Anderson is after your coffin. I didn't tell him where it is but-"

"You upheld your promise to me." He cut her off, needing to exact vengeance for this contemptuous act against his house. She was His, and the boy had defiled her with his horrid bite in an attempt to claim her. He would take great pleasure in the punishing of the arrogant wolf. Lina nodded, arms wrapping tight around him as she tried to express to him her gratitude and relief he had come for her. He gently stroked her back as she embraced him. "Go to Seras. I have a hunt to finish." She squeezed him tighter but nodded, pulling away and looking behind him to where the projectile must have come from. Seras was standing up and making her way towards them, meeting up with Lina and easily picking the smaller girl up and the pair of them retreating from the battle. Lina was trembling as the adrenaline started to wear off, completely soaked from the deluge of rain. The blood loss made it harder for her body to stay warm, and the intense heat from the fire had left her skin slightly burnt on her legs. It was to much. Her body reached its' limit.

Seras cursed as she had to adjust her grip of Lina as the girl passed out, thankful to see the Hellsing vehicle fast approaching. The back door opened and the men helped move Lina into the vehicle. They guarded the truck from outside as Seras took off the medical kit and started cleaning up the bleeding cuts on Lina's chest. She had to remove the top, tossing it in the medical waste bag since it had blood and was beyond repair. Seras held in her own tears as she cleaned the cuts on the younger girls chest, trying to maintain some of Lina's modesty. There were bruises Seras recognized as hand prints on her friend. After bandaging Lina, Seras put the girl in a spare shirt as she then set the broken bones in the unconscious girl's arm. There were bone shards that would need to be surgically corrected. Seras took a deep breath as she moved to remove Lina's lower garments to attend to the bleeding and burns. The shoes joined the medical waste bag. As Seras pulled down Lina's pants she couldn't stop the stray tears at the sight of the liquid silver running parallel to the claw marks down Lina's legs. Seras cleaned the cut marks as best she could since she couldn't touch the silver without it causing her own flesh to burn. Seras was quick with her work, dressing the 2nd degree burns on Lina's feet and lower legs. There wasn't any extra pants, but as the small girl's body temperature was still low Seras wrapped her in a thermal blanket and curled her up in the recovery position as she opened the door to have the men hop back inside. Pip was driving, opening the divider as Seras tapped it.

"She needs medical attention." Seras spoke as with an even voice as she kept monitoring Lina,worried about the girl's condition. "We should head back to headquarters. She's had some blood loss. I am going to give her a transfusion, see if that helps stabilize her."

* * *

Alucard watched as his fledgling took his fiancee to safety. The priest had made two attempts to murder those in his house tonight. But the wolf had made an egregious attack on Lina's honor and his own. The storm dissipated as he drew it back into himself, the moon glowing blood red in the sky as he pulled out his guns. The Count smirked as the storm was reabsorbed, using the surge of power to easily parry both of the blades being swiped at him by the manic priest. A cloud of darkness rushed on the ground as the Count advanced with rapid but precise swings of his blade. The glorious aria of steel on steel as his cloak billowed out with the force of the air being displaced with his movement. As the Count turned after a successfully pushing Anderson back he merged into the shadows of Alucard's coat. Their goal was one and the same. To protect their honor and those in their house.

Anderson was pushing himself to the extremes of his abilities and yet, he wasn't fast enough, the vampire shooting and the bullets lodging in his skin, sending pain through him and making his re-generator chips kick into overdrive. He was getting warmer and warmer the longer they fought, sweating profusely. The exploding tips were sending bits of the priest everywhere.

"Blast ye devil! This not be the end of this! Aye will slay ye damned Vampire!" Alucard snarled as the priest once more tossed that bible down, the swarm of holy literature letting the priest escape once more. With a outraged war cry Alucard let a massive wave of dark energy pulse out, trying to chase down the priest. He went to the wooden stake that they had tied Lina too, yanking out the blessed blade the priest left behind. It hurt to touch the handle, but he didn't care. This slight pain was nothing compared to what agony he would deliver to his enemies. He gripped the blade more, letting himself feel the discomfort, letting himself become adjusted to the pain, so that he could ignore it in the future.

"Come for me re-generator. You owe me a great debt." Alucard could feel his power growing more and more with his rage. His old memories and new ones shifting into place, clicking in properly as he could feel himself becoming whole, becoming his truest self. "A king does not suffer such indignities quietly."

**Chapter End**


	32. Solstice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for suicide later on in chapter.

Hellsing Headquarters...December 21st...4 am

 

Lina was in the medical unit, the doctors having cleaned her body up and she was under observation as they awaited Sir Integra’s orders on what to do since the girl had been bitten by a werewolf. Seras stayed with her, watching over the girl that was resting fitfully. She was sweating and groaning, and every so often she would whimper in pain. She heard the doctors reporting to Sir Integra. This wasn't fair. Lina hadn’t picked to lose her humanity, she was a victim. But unlike the ghouls they laid to rest, Lina was still alive. Seras had picked her fate, and while it left a lot to be desired she had the choice. The doctors all stood to attention as Sir Integra walked in, stoic face and nothing but hardened eyes as she received the report. The woman nodded, Walter opening the door and following Sir Integra inside as she marched somberly towards the girls. This was not going to end well. Sir Integra would not take another monster in under her banner. Alucard wasn’t back yet. It was Seras’s job to keep the girl safe till he could be here, but she couldn’t stop Sir Integra. Walter was at Sir Integra’s side, a calm smile on his face, as if he was laughing at some joke only he understood. 

 

“I want your field report.” Seras gulped, feeling icy blue eyes on her as she stood to attention and tried to think back to where she needed to start. 

 

* * *

 

Lina was feeling a mixture of weightlessness and yet feeling like she was deep under water. Everything was dark but light, and she couldn’t tell which direction she was moving in, if she was moving at all. Oh by the gods! Was she dead! Did she not make it! She started to panic, trying to move up but she couldn’t tell if she was making progress. Suddenly it sounded like voices, but they were muffled, the sounds difficult to make out. Lina tried to move towards the voices, but it was too difficult to move when she couldn't even see herself. 

 

“Stop panicking...You’re not dead...yet. You’re just unconscious.” A smooth, almost catlike voice called out from nearby. Lina stopped and looked around, trying to see where Sha might be hiding. “There is a wolf huffing and puffing at the door to your soul. I’ve come to get you from here so all of us can fight to keep it out while it gets fixed.” Lina felt a tug on herself, and she allowed Sha to start moving them.

 

“How can we fix it from here?” 

 

“We can’t.” The area suddenly went from darkness to a more palatable setting of a garden. Lina couldn’t make out details, but she could get a general sense of what she was looking at. More like she was a solid picture of a person walking through an impressionistic piece of art. “Don’t get distracted, you can’t see in here the same way the dead can.” Sha spoke up, and Lina looked at the truer form of her guardian demoness. The catlike woman was as a pitch black color, gold paint around her eyes but Lina couldn’t make it out. A small shape was running through the garden towards them, the clinking of a chain following as she ran. Lina could suddenly see the chain binding Sha to this child’s spirit. “She is the source of my attachment to you. I was her guardian, and as she is the base of your soul, my duties haven’t ended.” Lina nodded, saddened as she realized that this spirit died so young. “Don’t get distracted or you’ll never get through this.” Lina couldn’t make out details of the child, but Sha was right, now was not the time. 

 

“.........” Lina could tell the child was speaking, but none of it was inteligible to her. “........” The child started to tug on both Sha and Lina.

 

“The others are struggling to keep the wolf out without me there to hold the door. No more questions.” They seemed to be moving but yet she made not motions to walk or run, the world changing around her. Was this what the world of the living looked like to the dead? There were blotches of color that she could feel she knew but yet they were so blurry. All of them pushing against a door, a dulled boom as the door rattled. Something threw itself at them, a strained cry as the previous lives struggled against the demanding creature. Lina felt the boom more than heard it, an aching pounding in her own existance. Sha pressed her hands against the door, her demon strength easing the strain Lina’s other lives felt. The mass of others turned their attentions on Lina, all of them looking at her expectantly. Lina self consciously moved towards them, joining Sha in pushing against the door, shutting the beast out for now. 

 

“So...do we just hold it shut forever?” Lina asked, not sure if this was really the best course of action. 

 

“No, we have to hold it off till we’re rescued.” Sandra spoke up, her voice the only other one Lina could make out here. Damn Necromancer. She had all the talent. “We already have everything we need to beat it, but we can’t do it from this side.” 

 

“Well fat load of good that does us, I don’t know how to get to the other side. And what do you mean we have everything we need?” Lina grunted in agitation as another thundering howl filled the room and the sound of claws scratching at the door worried her. 

 

“Damned bitch really wants to get in here. She must have been waiting a while for a vessel.” Sandra huffed, coming closer to Lina and Sha. “You already wrote the spell and gathered the supplies, remember. It wasn’t meant for Sean, we had the vision for ourselves. Setareh must have been trying to stop her own curse.” 

 

“What curse?” Lina was pushing harder against the door, relieved that it seemed her and Sha were able to hold the wolf spirit out for now, the other lives taking a break to recoup their energy. 

 

“When she shattered, Setareh laid a very powerful curse on Vlad. But curses come with a price. The price she paid was her very soul, us by association.” Sandra sounded bitter. “The reason we rarely make it past age 25 is her curse, in order to keep the curse active, blood must be spilled to insure the price is paid.” Lina looked around at Sandra’s words, it all making sense, for 600 years one woman’s broken heart had caused so much misery. “It’s been about 50 years since the last incarnation, and the last time blood was paid to prevent Vlad from achieving his happiness.” Sandra leveled a glare at Lina, the woman’s resentment finally showing itself. Sandra had died to keep a curse active against a man she had never met by a woman whose own magic she could not break. “But now his happiness might in her eyes include  _ you _ , so that gave  _ you _ a vision to counteract this curse.” Sandra had tried to stop her own demise, and yet she suffered and must now watch this other self be able to pull the answer from a source of magic that was far stronger than her own.

 

“But how does becoming a werewolf count?” 

 

“Sir Integra is a monster hunter.” Sha spoke plainly, glaring at Sandra to warn the spirit about placing her anger in the wrong place. “She’s standing at your bedside right now with a loaded gun. We have to hope this works out in our favor or I’ll have to add you to my list of failed charges.” 

 

* * *

 

 

“Sir Integra please...Just give me a chance to try it. If it doesn’t work all we’ve lost is time out of our day. If it does work, we might be able to start helping people that get bitten become human again.” Alucard entered the room, looking calm and composed, but his shadow was an angry spector of twisted shadows. The only outward sign of his displeasure at failing to find the blasted priest. 

 

“Give Seras Victoria a chance to perform the spell Lina had previously crafted. It is already enough of an issue that the Vatican made such a move, the issue will only get worse if I must take up grievance for the premature ending of my fiance’s life with Her Majesty.”

 

“Are you bloody mad Alucard, I refuse to allow you to keep brides. Your one free monster pet was the police girl, I will not allow another.” 

 

“She’s no longer a virgin, turning her is impossible. But if her spell works, she can at least regain humanity.” Integra flinched as she understood. Seras had delicately left that part of the report out. 

 

“Alucard I have no pleasure in killing my own people.” The Valentine brothers attack had been a horrible day.

 

“Then have her case heard by your Queen. Otherwise I will take it as a direct insult against the House of Dracul.”  

 

“You’re really going to force me on this?” Integra asked softly, gazing up at the man who acted as her mentor and her adversary. He taught her how to fight with a sword by using live steel, he taught her how to shoot a gun with near inhuman precision by trying to hunt her himself. He had also been the one to mentor her on the finer things her father hadn’t had time too, like how to conduct herself with authority among the rest of the round table as an equal, his shadow always there to to encourage their compliance. 

 

He had been the one to sort out the incognito mess while she had been in prison. He had bypassed all security and spoken with Her Majesty directly. In exchange for him wiping the event from the minds of all civilians to keep monsters hidden, Integra was to be reinstated to her former role with full honors. It had taken media suppression a bit longer to clean up the broadcasting end of the issue but it had been swept away under the rug. But with the time she was disgraced and in prison, it had broken his seals. Only a master in good standing with the full faith of the head of the Church behind them could keep the seals active. Yet despite him being freed, he saved her from prison, because she refused to let him turn her. He had valued her humanity so much. It must be eating him that Lina had lost hers, especially under his watch. Integra sighed, looking over the still unconscious body of Lina. 

 

“Fine. But then you assume the risks. If it fails, you will be the one to end her misery. I have shot too many of my own men. It can be performed in the back of the property, near the old hunting lodge. I don’t want this anywhere near the troops or my home. I also expect to be shown the results.” 

 

“Sir Integra, perhaps it would be best for me to go with them. I can observe and make sure that what they are telling you is true. After all, Alucard has been mistaken multiple times in how deceased someone is. We thought the wolf gone but Miss Khayam is now suffering for his overconfidence.” Walter interjected, his tone almost too keen to watch, his eyes glinting eagerly. 

 

“Send Captain Bernadotte and my new recruit to observe, I need you to set up a meeting to discuss how we shall handle this Vatican issue.” 

 

“But Sir, those men hardly know what to look for when it comes to werewolves, we have only trained them to handle vampires and ghouls.” Walter insisted, wanting to directly observe what would be the end result. 

 

“Private Victoria, take the diagnostic manual on therianthropy you and Miss Khayam created with you so they may gain some hands on field experience and we can test the validity of the book as I will conduct a secondary exam if it succeeds.” Seras perked up, saluting with a bright toothy grin on her face at Sir Integra’s order. 

 

“Sir, Yes Sir! I’ll go and get everything ready. Thank you Sir Integra.” Integra smirked and nodded, dismissing the girl to go and follow orders as she turned to Alucard whose shadow seemed less wrathful. 

 

“It’s going to be a very large problem to sort out this kind of assault on one of our own. Walter and I will begin the messy diplomatic work ahead. Don’t make me regret trusting you on this.” Integra said as she turned to return to her office, Walter shooting a glare at Integra so fast that a human would have missed it. Alucard wasn’t human. How curious. 

 

* * *

 

 

“So wait, what happens when they use that spell?” Lina grunted as she had to dig her feet into the non-existent floor. 

 

“Well...Ideally it will force out the wolf spirit.” Sandra, seemed a bit troubled as she thought about the spells aftermath.  

 

“Is there a but in there?” 

 

* * *

Hellsing Property...7 am…

 

Seras finished nailing down the corners of the cloth Lina had inscribed the spell too, the two humans helping grind down the herbs and things needed for the spell. Alucard was reading over Lina’s spell work, looking for what errors he could. He was amused to find Matthew was Sir Integra’s ‘new recruit’. Without the ridiculous getup and flamboyant hair, the resemblance in the family was a bit more pronounced. The young man had been very upset about his friends condition, and had been held back from punching Vlad. Maybe after this he would spar with the boy, test his metal, but right now, he had an obligation to keep his vow of protection intact.  Lina was groaning restlessly on the gurney she was strapped to, and he wondered just how long she could keep fighting this battle. She hadn’t changed yet, but she also wasn’t human either. She never would be human again. Looking over her spell he knew that. All this would do is push out the invading spirit, a form of exorcism, but the flesh would never be fully human again. His marriage might end up longer than anticipated. 

 

“All set here, how are those herbs coming along?” Seras stood up, fighting off her own exhaustion to finish this. She had changed into a clean uniform, the blood covered ones needed to be sanitized and mended. 

 

“Almost done, we just have the wolfs-bane left.”

 

“Oh! Let me do that one, Lina said it can kill humans really easily.” Seras took the very large jar of the plant, which seemed harmless, but was very dangerous. For humans the oils from the plant were deadly, and for monsters it dampened their ability to shape shift. Since Seras didn’t use shape shifting anyway the plant poised no danger to her beyond discomfort at the smell. 

 

Alucard moved over towards Lina, placing his hand on her forehead as he tried once more to reach her mind, to speak with her, only to pull back as the wolf chased him, trying to follow him inside to take hold. He tried to pull the wolf out but he couldn’t. It was in her blood, and he couldn’t take her blood without turning her into a ghoul. Finally Seras finished with the herb, the wolfs-bane now part of the circle to keep the spirit inside. Alucard unstrapped Lina, picking her up and placing her inside the circle as Seras began the pagan exorcism. 

 

Alucard sat off to the side, gun in hand, fully loaded and ready should Lina be lost. The other two men were on the other side of the room, looking over the guide book so they could be ready for their part. Seras made three full circles around the outside of the painted barrier, chanting as she went. Lina seemed unresponsive to the events going on around her, but as Seras began to the meat and bones of the spellwork, chanting heavily while invoking the gods Lina had listed, the gods from a variety of regions and traditions, and he was mildly amused to see she even invoked his former God. Maybe Lina was just covering all her bases? Or, more likely, as she was free to worship any gods she pleased, she asked help from all she knew. He would tease her for it once she survived. Seras could start to see an almost fine mist lifting from the bite mark on Lina’s arm, looking towards Alucard, and he simply nodded that he too could see the fine mist. The two humans couldn’t see it, their third eye blissfully shut to the ghostly shape of a wolf being forced from the bite mark, the beast howling as it was being pulled out. The humans could hear that. Fighting to retain it’s hold the wolf tried to soak back into Lina, causing her body to thrash as Lina pushed from within and they pulled from their end. Seras was chanting firmly, not letting the strange sight deter her. It meant this was working, and her friend was going to be okay. 

 

The wolf was trying to lash out at Seras to force her to stop speaking but the spirit could not reach beyond the barrier. Seras didn’t know how long she had been chanting, or how long the wolf refused to release its hold but suddenly there was almost an electric like spark, a jolt of electricity that seemed to send the wolf from Lina’s flesh, the beast spirit trying to escape from the containing barrier the spell circle created. Lina was slowly waking, but she was now still locked within the barrier of the circle with a wolf that was livid at being denied flesh. Alucard stood, letting his own aura finally expand beyond himself and fill the room, causing all the occupants to be filled with dread as he marched to the barrier, looking Lina over himself. She seemed to still be suffering from the pain of her injuries, which was normal. She had no tolerance for pain. Her flesh had failed to heal, she did not have regeneration. She looked up and her eyes met his, they were her mixed green brown. She looked like she was dazed and yet grateful to see him. It only threw in his face how she was delighted to still be alive when it should have been a guarantee with him. Walter’s words swimming to the front of his mind, the sleep deprivation and lack of success in killing his enemies mixing together.  

 

“Seras, she’s fine, let her out.” He bite out crisply between his fangs. 

 

“Um...I don’t know how." Seras was looking over to Lina for some help. "Lina...you didn’t write any instructions for this part.” 

 

“It’s okay...I’ll walk out.” Lina tried to sound confident but as she attempted to stand it was clear she could not. She was barely able to lift her head. Alucard felt even more displeased at her frail state. Reaching forward, his dark power shattered the barrier easily, the wolf spirit fleeing the as a massive gust of wind that shook the old building. He easily picked Lina up, feeling an electric current pass through him. It had come from her. “Alucard I have to tell you-” 

 

“Silence, I am already in a fowl mood. They have to evaluate you to see if you get to live. Answer when spoken too, nothing more right now.” Lina looked like she was going to argue but as she looked up she accepted his demand. She didn’t have energy left to refuse him. He set her on the bed once more. Matt rushed over to her with a worried expression, Pip following behind at a slower pace. The book open as he was looking over what it said. Alucard watched as the two men bungled their way through the process of checking her. Her skin had no reaction to silver, holy water had no affect, and what other meaningless tests that book prescribed. She was not a wolf. 

 

_‘Master...you aren’t happy she’s okay?’_ Seras piped up from within his mind. The fledgling rolling up the canvas to take back to the labs until Sir Integra came to a decision. 

 

_ ‘What part should I be happy about? That she was raped and turned? That she was stolen right from under your watch. Or maybe that if I had properly executed the fucking whelp she wouldn’t have gone through any of this? Please, tell me which part of this salvaged failure should I be excited about?’ _

 

“She human according to the book, but I think she’s still really suffering from her injuries, we should get her back to the medical staff so they can finish treating her.” Matthew spoke up, Lina having passed out. The blood loss and burns were still active health concerns. Pip was fidgeting with the lighter in his pocket, wanting to get some nicotine to settle his nerves after the wolf ghost thing passed through. This job was getting weirder and weirder. 

 

“I’ll go alert Sir Integra to meet you there.” Seras said as she packed up her things, using her vampire speed to cross the lawn between them and the Hellsing Manor. Alucard wondered, had he taught Integra well enough to find what was wrong with Lina. If he had, Lina’s blood would be on his hands, if he hadn’t, he failed to prepare Integra to be his Master. He followed behind as Pip and Matthew took Lina back to the transport vehicle. The sun was shining in a mocking manner, the world bright and aglow with rich colors. 

 

* * *

 

“Alucard, she passes. Normal, no, but she passes for human. Will you be staying here with her till she is well enough to be sent home?” Integra shouldn’t let this slip. But Lina had been mildly successful in solving the wolf problem. It would be a waste of such raw talent. With proper resources, she might even be able to be of use in the freak vampire's case. Since the Tower of London Incident everything had gone quiet, only a few freaks popping up here and there. Their chips revealing nothing useful. If someone was using science to recreate monsters, maybe magic would yield answers on how to stop it. It felt like any time they made progress a catastrophe came through and set them back to zero.

 

“Walter isn’t here.” 

 

“I have him setting up meetings to handle this matter. Alucard...I take responsibility for my part of this, I should not have kept her in the field. She will be far more useful in the dark art labs. After she’s able to work again.” Integra was thinking of how best to approach restructuring the labs downstairs into functional workspaces.  

 

“No, you did what was best from your position. Leverage to keep me under control. You learned well. I must be slipping in my old age.” Alucard spoke softly, a hint of pride mixed with his displeasure. 

 

“But I failed her as her commanding officer to make the right call. I put our politics ahead of what was best for this organization. I should not have felt so insecure in my control that I put her out as a hostage.” It had just been a bit of harmless fun to indulge the younger girl’s delusions of grandeur that had helped push police girl. But that fun should have ended when she produced results. 

 

“And that dear Master, is where you are like your forefathers. Regretting what they had to do to best and keep me in control. Although I do suppose it is fitting that I am the one who suffered this time.” Alucard was tired, he was still filled with the desire to kill and yet, the priest and the wolf had run off to hide from the consequences of their actions. 

 

“I do believe that is one of your highest praises of me. If you have need the lower levels should house you if you do not wish to spend your time in the medical ward.” Integra was also feeling fatigue from a lack of sleep, but she would be off for a respite soon before starting the next nights missions. Alucard gave her a small nod to acknowledge her offer, but made no move from Lina’s bedside. “If you need to occupy yourself tomorrow there are a few missions that we could use assistance on.” She said before leaving him and Lina to their own devices in the medical ward. 

 

Alucard stretched out on the chair at her bedside, drawing the curtains to send them into as much darkness as possible. This chair was not comfortable. Lina was unconscious on the bed, her feet and legs bandaged to prevent infection from the burns. Bandages on her arm over the bite and where Anderson had pierced her flesh to torture her. She was hooked up to a transfusion bag plus a saline and potassium bag, antibiotics, and some pain killers to help her sleep. The bones were still broken in her arm. The surgery to realign the fragmented pieces would happen after she had more blood in her system. He removed all the ivs except the blood packet. He summoned a small fragment of his energy, as small as he could. He pushed it into her arm, exerting his control over it and mending bones, leaving the rest of his energy lose in her flesh to mend it as necessary. He moved her to the side of the bed laying out himself, and then pulling her closer to his body and allowing himself to rest till nightfall. Creating storms, while a natural skill of his, was always a massive drain on his energy, and he would need to feed to replenish himself. Vlad closed his eyes. Even with the raging of his unspent blood-lust and un-avenged pride, Lina’s hand gripped his as she curled closer into his hold and a small sense of peace filled him that he hadn’t felt since Setarehs’ death. Everything would be better with a fresh mind tomorrow. 

 

When the nurse came to check on Miss Khayam she froze with fear at seeing the vampire laying on the bed as well. She needed to put another blood bag for her patient, but waking the vampire seemed to outweigh the benefit. Lina’s head looked up, seeing the nurse and smiling, using her hand to silently wave the nurse over. The woman approached as silently as she could going to Lina’s side of the bed, changing the blood bag and reconnecting the other bags into the iv. Lina was carefully watching Vlad to make sure he wasn’t going to wake up and lash out at the nurse. As the nurse moved to her arm Lina shook her head, trying to signal for the nurse to leave. The nurse was supposed to change the bandages but it seemed that would be too much right now. Lina could feel his blood-lust boiling under the surface, too much jostling would trigger him to feed and ask questions later. The nurse left as silently as her shoes would allow, locking the door behind her. Lina sagged into the bed, feeling cold and wishing she could adjust the blanket. But she was also trapped by the fact that waking the vampire now would be a death sentence. Lina could feel the energy swimming in her veins, his energy, swimming around aimlessly as it had no direction. She hadn’t purified it so it was very much like feeling him inside her. It felt weird, but comforting. She tried to send her own energy to catch his, to try and direct his energy to the injuries she had, mostly focusing on the burns. Thank gods for the nurse putting back in the painkiller. She lay there, struggling to stay as still as him, drifting in and out of wakefulness due to the drugs, her pain, and being cold. Finally it was nightfall, her surgery had been rescheduled to a time she was not literally next to death. Vlad began to stroke her back as he woke, signalling his return to the waking world. He sat up, and Lina greedily took the chance to claim the entire blanket that had been under him, shivering now that she was not terrified of disturbing him. 

 

“Lina-”

 

“I need to tell you something important.” Lina spoke quickly before Vlad could finish his sentence. 

 

“Good evening to you as well.” He mumbled back in annoyance, straightening his clothes purely for show as he stood from the bed. Lina blushed in embarrassment and greeted him shyly and he grabbed some blood bags from the medical staff closet and started to gorge himself. He was drinking four bags at once as he made a hand motion for Lina to begin speaking. 

 

“I...I’m not really human anymore...that spell-” 

 

“I know. I don’t know what exactly you are, but I know what you are not. I could read your spellwork.” He enjoyed the way she looked at him in surprise. “Barely, your handwriting looks like chicken scratch, which is an insult to the chickens I have met.” He teased, and she blushed, and he enjoyed putting her in her place as the less experienced in this situation. 

 

“So...does that mean you aren’t going to get mad at me for...for breaking my promise?” 

 

“The terms were that you would keep your humanity, you kept it, he stole it. The issue is on his behavior. And soon to be on a pike.” Alucard had drained the bags, leaving them to trash the floor as he grabbed another 4 to drink again. He wished these bags contained more than a sip at a time. It took so many to equal the same amount as a drink from a live source. 

 

“Well...maybe it is better for us if we drag it out.” He arched his brow as he looked at her, rolling his fingers to encourage her to continue speaking. “Well...we have the moral high ground right now against the Vatican right? I mean, they kidnap and…” She curled into herself a little bit, her bitten arm resting in her lap. “...Torture me. I mean...with a few edited details this story could be released to the public, in addition to all the other stories, it would cause a PR nightmare for them. Them taking in a known dangerous person that then uses their position as a priest in training to assault someone that had already fled from that person. It only makes them look guiltier, and drops their credibility in matters that pertain to women’s and children’s rights. As well as the fact I am not Christian we can skew it as a hate crime. It won’t be big, but it’s still bad for them.” She was taken by surprise as Alucard kissed her deeply, wanting to gag on the metallic taste in her mouth, but he pulled back, his tongue cleaning his meal from her mouth. 

 

“Very clumsy dear, but I understand what you are trying to say. Would you be willing to have this dragged out for everyone to know? To shame them by showing your scars? They will say terrible things about you.” 

 

“You mean am I willing to say I was a survivor?” 

 

“Dear, for this type of ploy, you need to be a victim.” 

 

“But...won’t that make me weaker to carry myself as a victim rather than a survivor? I mean, I don’t want them to feel like I am not strong. Won’t it make you weaker for me to be weak?” She asked softly, finding it easier to talk about these events as political tokens rather than the emotional events they were. He joined her on the bed, his hand cupping her cheek and urging her to meet his eyes, seeing the strange mix of warmth and that simmering blood lust still humming inside of him. He could see her hiding her emotions, and he smirked as he pulled out casull. 

 

“Exactly what we need. The weaker you look, the more damage they have done, the less self control you need to have. No one questions why a victim wants revenge, why a victim might act irrationally, or holds them fully accountable for their actions. Once that wolf’s head is mounted on our fence, you can call yourself a survivor, and be as strong as you like. Do you think you can be an emotional wreck about this till then?” He knew she wouldn't be emotionally ready to stand up to the convention of twelve or the head of section 13 interrogating her about what happened. The tactical plan would be to pick the one that allowed for the emotional outbursts that would follow and crop up during the events to come. Plan for the likely events. Plan for controlled chaos. If you know that people run out the doors during a fire, you make sure to plan for that chaos. Watch them impale themselves when they jump out the windows when they find the doors boarded up. He watched Lina nod, leaning into his touch. 

 

“You promise I can be strong after he’s dead?” Lina had promised to help him in his endeavors, it was part of their vows. So if he needed her to play a victim, she would. Feeling a mix of disappointment that he wanted her to be weak, and relieved that she had his blessing to break down if she needed too in front of others. He stroked her cheek, and let out a little hm, that she took for yes. “Thank you...for not letting Integra shoot me.” 

 

“Seras did the spell work.” He was feeling twitchy to go kill something, but Lina needed to not be alone. 

 

“I am guessing I can’t go home with you for Shab-e-yalda.” 

 

“I gave you energy, you should be more healed.” 

 

“Um...well...I feel your energy inside me, but I can’t really get it to focus on healing anything since it didn’t get cleansed before. It’s just you...inside me.” She had a much softer blush, and he was very curious about that now. He ran his thumb over her cheek again, this time trying to call his energy back to him. She felt his energy obey him, rushing to mirror his hand on the inside of her skin. It was really bizarre. “Can you pull it back out? I can cleanse it then heal myself.” Alucard called his energy back but decided to keep it, petting Lina as he stood up, summoning Seras to come replace him. “Vlad?”

 

“Our plans work better with more sympathy, and you being injured and healing naturally is better for our case. You will need to discuss with Sir Integra before you tell your family why you can’t go home tomorrow as well as when you can be dismissed to visit them. Now…” He materialized his hat from the shadows and slipped on his glasses, a horrifyingly sinister smile on his face, splitting it inhumanly wide. “I have things to kill.” He simply walked out the wall as Seras walked in through the door. 

 

“Well that was rude of him, summoning me and then darting off.” Seras said, coming in her civilian clothes. She turned to Lina, a smile on her face as she stood by the younger girl’s bedside. “Feeling better?”

 

* * *

Mary Our Mother orphanage.....6 am Dec 21st

 

“Anderson how could you let this happen! Those miserable heathens have been crying fowl over this incident. It is like a angry hive of bees with all their incessant buzzing. We already had to coincide over the last times you killed their worthless soldiers, but now they are demanding even more over the hellish harlot being harmed as the blasted vampire is claiming the church harmed his property. The unholy demon is directly demanding restitution for the damage done to her.” Maxwell was practically yelling through the phone, trying to keep from losing his temper. 

 

“An why should we listen to the damned?” Anderson was clutching his bible in hand, his own nerves frayed at having failed to punish any of those that dare mock God. 

 

“Because the world is no longer one in which politics can be settled with swords. It is a time where men of action have to wait for us paper pushers to finalize details. You disobeyed orders to only hunt Alucard. I need you to come back to the Vatican, we have another priest selected to take over for you as a permanent replacement.” 

 

“Is ‘is record clear?” Anderson wouldn’t leave these children without knowing they would be safe. 

 

“Yes, he is one of the priest that wanted to join section 13 but couldn’t handle the physical demands of our group. He passed all the other levels of background checks.” 

 

“Aye, when can ‘e be expected?” Anderson did not have much to pack beyond a few extra clothes and his equipment. 

 

“He is inbound on a plane as we speak.” Anderson stood, leaving out a clean set of clothes for his trip as he put his things in his small suitcase. “You are to meet him at the airfield and take that plane back home. They are under orders to bring only you back home.” Anderson paused, a sad sigh as he understood. 

 

“Aye, I’ll deliver ‘is last rights.” Anderson picked out a clean bayonet. He would make it fast. He had failed his charge in helping the young man return to a path of righteousness, so now he needed to send him to seek forgiveness from the highest power.  

 

“May God have mercy upon the weak of spirit.”  

 

“Amen.” The line went dead. Putting the selected blade in place Anderson picked up his bible and exited his room, walking down the hallway towards the room Sean was in. Knocking lightly he couldn’t hear anything from the other side. Maybe the lad was sleeping. He knocked again, a bit louder. “Lad, we need ta be ‘aving a chat.” Still nothing. Odd. Anderson opened the door, a painful pinch in his heart as he saw why Sean had failed to answer. 

 

**(trigger warning)**

 

His hands were bound behind his back, clutching the rosary between them, flesh sizzling as the silver burned it. Bed sheets tied to the rafter of the room and firmly around his own neck, the chair kicked over in the center of the small room. The young man’s face was contorted with pain, and from the way he was hanging Anderson could tell it had not be quick. There had been too much slack. The boy had suffocated to death instead of his neck snapping.  The young man’s bible was sitting open on his desk, next to a note. The sizzling sound was growing louder as the wolf spirit now had free range over the flesh with Sean no longer here. In a swift motion Anderson cut the bed sheets and then stabbed the blade through the heart of the body before it hit the ground. Sean hadn’t realized what a danger his werewolf state posed. Werewolves couldn’t be killed like this. Picking up the body and dropping it on the bed felt a bit unreal. Anderson looked up, pulling down the bed sheets and using them to cover the body. Righting the chair he sat at the desk, reading over the note. The boy had tried to do what he thought was right. He didn’t think he could be saved, so he had tried to take the demon wolf with him. 

 

Anderson removed his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. What a mess this had turned into. He should have kept the fight between him and Alucard, now he had dragged the hopes of salvation of a young man through the brambles. The manic desire to kill his foe had blinded him to the monster that was tormenting Sean. He should have dealt with that first, should have exercised it first. Wrath and pride had filled him, and now these sins on his part had cost a young man who could have been a good priest his life. The longer he sat here and stewed on it the worse it would get. No one had to know that Sean had hung himself. Pulling out his bible Anderson began to give Sean his last rights. 

 

Chapter End.


	33. The Last Droplet

December 29th...Hellsing Manor, Basement levels.

The shattered remains of the chair rested at the base of the wall, papers still fluttering to the ground from their sudden upheaval. Seras was doing her best to cradle the sobbing young woman in her arms, listening to her mixed anger and grief. Using her police training Seras followed through the steps for helping people in mental distress. Hopefully there was some way of making this right. Lina had recounted the events over and over again for the last five days. Having to sit there as photos of the damage done to her where displayed, being talked about like she wasn’t in the room. To try and carry herself with dignity and pride while it was clear she was not okay from the times she cried silently into her handkerchief. For those men to judge like that. All it amounted to was an insultingly low monetary offer and the news that her attacker had already been killed. They hadn’t even spoken to her about their offer, but to Vlad. 

Lina had lost it. 

Lina had completely broken down. Crying hysterically, she had tossed the cup in front of her directly into the head of the Iscariot agent. It had broken on impact. Blood running down the man’s face before he could react. Integra had ordered Seras to remove Lina before the young girl could pull out Alucard’s gun from his waistband. 

Soon the sobs became just heaving breaths as Lina struggled to breath, this was all too much. Vlad said she had done everything right, so why hasn't it worked? How could they think for a moment that money would be enough to repay what they had let happen. Lina was feeling light headed as she struggled to breath, clutching Seras like a lifeline as the world seemed to tilt out of control. It was like a dam had broken. All the emotions she had pretended weren't there had just come roaring to the surface, the victim act no longer an act. They had made her feel so weak. 

She loathed it. 

She wanted so much to kill that man just to prove she wasn’t weak. She hadn’t even realized she had been reaching for Vlad’s gun until she had been pulled away. She had made a mess of everything. She had over reacted. Vlad was going to be furious with her. Time was meaningless to her as she clutched Seras to her heaving frame, trying to keep herself from breaking. 

“Master...what’s happening up there?” Seras asked gently as Vlad walked into the room, surveying the aftermath of the fit. He honestly hadn’t expected the glass to hit. He figured the agent would have the reflexes to dodge. Oh well. He was missing his hat and red coat today, wearing a more formal, and modern suit for the meeting, but leaving the butts of his guns flashing from his waist. Good thing she had failed to reach the guns, the kick back would have done worse damage to her healing arm. 

“It doesn’t matter, the council is taking a break to discuss and the Iscariots are bandaging up the priest she maimed.” 

“I’m right here!” Lina sobbed, looking up at him with red eyes, stains on her cheeks from drying tears. Her lip quivering as she demanded to be acknowledged. He slowly turned to look at her, seeing just how high strung she was. She was equally liable to try and attack as she was to curl up and want to die. Possibly both. 

“What do you want from them instead?” He asked her in a deep, soothing baritone, his red eyes flashing as he imposed his will to calm her emotions. He didn’t plan for this outcome, so all ideas were welcome. With her emotions so fragile Lina couldn’t defend from his gaze, and part of her didn’t want to. She needed his strength right now or she might just… 

“I want them to feel just as violated and insulted as I do.” Her voice while calmer was full of unbridled loathing.

“I highly doubt sodomy is on the table dear.” He chuckled, seeing her calm as she surrendered to his power, separated from her feelings for now. “You took out a good portion of the man’s forehead. He’ll have scars for the rest of his life.”

“They have to reverse your excommunication, and can’t excommunicate you as long as we’re married.” 

“Excuse you?” His smirk faltered at the ridiculous request. “To what end? I’m not going to church now or ever again.” 

“I know...I just want them to have to sit there across from you, and have to treat you like a full member of their precious religion. Walk into any catholic church you want, force them to listen to you confess every last one of your sins. And they can do shit all about telling you to leave because you’d be a full fledged ‘catholic’ again. Hell, if you want to go to the vatican on easter sunday and get mass, you can cut to the front of the line to watch the pope wash your fucking feet.” 

“That’s not all that insulting.” Why on earth did she think this was fair trade for her own value. He didn’t want it, so she wasn’t doing him any favors.

“It will be to Anderson.” She hissed out, wishing she had claws to rip the man apart with.

“So spite is what we’re going with. Pure, malicious spite?” 

“And if we have any children, they have full rights to the church too.” 

“There are better things we can get out of this negotiation. I mean, what good does this do you or me, we would actually have to go out of our way to spite these people like this. You will never wake up that early for mass.” Nor would he ever go.

“Our children also get full rights to be in the order of the dragon.” Her voice was even, and she was slowly wiping her tears away, trying to make herself presentable again.

“Lina, I don’t want any of these stupid things. I want nothing to do with this church or it’s god that failed me. Your heathen gods did more for me than him. Your gods actually banished a werewolf from you. Plus the last member of the order died a long time ago, it’s defunct now.” 

“You are undead. You still are not dead, so the order has one member.” 

“Why are you demanding these stupid things?” He growled in frustration. This was not what he wanted. He didn’t want it to look like he was coming back to the church some snivelling child that had been taught a lesson. 

“Because I want them to feel just as horrified, disgusted, and unclean knowing you and our children are part of their precious flock as I feel knowing I will never get back what they stole, or even get an apology for what they did or said. I want them to squirm as they kneel in their pews, and know that you are one of them. And they can’t stop it.” 

“So I am a punishment now?” His voice dropped dangerously low. 

“No...you give out punishment.” Lina mumbled softly, looking drained as he rejected her idea. Tears renewed their path down her face as she curled up, and Alucard dismissed Seras so he could have time alone. Seras looked down at the girl in her arms, not wanting to leave but she had no choice. Squeezing the younger girl reassuringly Seras pulled away and left the two alone in the room. There was silence. A subtle battle of wills as they sat there without a buffer. 

 

 

 

“I just...they threw you out after everything you did for them...I know you won’t ever love me...but...you used to love your God...and...if we ever had kids or something...I would want them to have a choice...I want them to have something to bond with you over.” She started sobbing again. “Your faith made you fearless, it made you into the man I love...and...you ended everything we had over it...I just want you to be ha-” He pulled her to him, shushing her words and letting her grip him and vent the emotions that seemed determined to possess her and take his control of her away. It was easy to forget that she was feeling more than her own sorrow. Her past life as his first wife left deeper scars than he had realized. 

“I have no desire to be part of their flock, I refuse to be their lamb for slaughter again. I promised on my beheading, I would never let their church control me.” He felt her try to nod her head through her tears, gripping him tighter. 

“Yes Vlad.” Lina mumbled against his chest, his power pushing inside and tapping down the emotional energy threatening to break through his suggestion of calmness. 

“You may request that our children be given the right to join. But nothing concerning us. You and I have no need of their salvation.” He was satisfied with her submission, and so letting her demand such a small thing seemed acceptable. His heir would learn from both of them, and likely reject it, but her pride, honor, and heart needed soothing. 

“Thank you.” Her voice was full of warmth as he pulled his control of her emotions. “Is Sir Integra mad at me?” 

“No more than usual.” Sir Integra had actually found it a tad bit gratifying herself. It was nice to see his master’s vicious streak when it did appear. 

“Are you mad with me for making a scene?” Lina asked more carefully, it clear she didn’t want to displease him. 

“I did give you permission.” He was meeting her half way, amusement in his voice. “I just didn’t expect you to actually hit anything.” 

“Seras had been making me do field training.” Lina said in a soft pout, enjoying being held so close to him like this.

“Then I guess that makes her the guilty party.” He stroked her head like a pet, teasing in his voice.

“If by guilty you mean the responsible one. She was actually trying to make me into a capable field agent, not just scaring the shit out of me.” A gentle tap to the back of her head was her warning, but Lina was feeling a bit better. “I’m not allowed back upstairs am I?” 

“Not for the remainder of the discussions no.” He moved to stand, letting her slide down to the table he had been sitting on. “Hold out your hands.” He ordered, and Lina obeyed, watching as he placed a small red marble of energy in her hands. She quickly had to focus her own energy to try and make sure his didn’t dissipate and so she could cleanse it. It took her some time, but it faded to her own mellow lavender hued energy from his vibrant red one. “They won’t be seeing you, so your state of health is no longer acceptable.” Lina understood, absorbing the energy into herself to heal the remainder of her injuries, feeling much better as the skin of her legs regrew, and the ache in her arm from her bones stopped. 

“Thanks Vlad.” Lina unwrapped the bandage around her arm, her face falling as she was greeted with the bite mark still visible on her arm. On her pale skin the bite mark stood out, two horseshoe like sets of scars, one on each side of her arm. The impressions of Sean’s teeth preserved on her, showing his inhuman status as instead of the flat lines human teeth made, her flesh had indents from each and every fang. “Gods Damn it! That stupid wolf just won’t let go!” 

“You still have energy?” Alucard asked calmly, his voice clinical and measured. 

“Yeah I still have some but it didn’t get r-AAAHHHHHHH!!!” Lina hadn’t even seen the motion. Full of horrific pain as without a hint of hesitation Alucard had skinned the part of her arm with the bite marks. He held the piece of flesh between his fingers watching as Lina started hyperventilating from the pain. He once more pushed her emotions down under his control, using that to calm her so she would focus on his instructions rather than her own instincts. 

“Heal it.” He ordered her, and under his control she did as he suggested, and he observed as the flesh mended unnaturally fast. The flesh he held in his hand dripped blood onto the floor. He looked in displeasure at the skin that was once more covering the muscles of her arm. The bite mark had not faded by much. It was better, but he did not want to see this vile claim of another on his property. “Do you have enough to heal again?” She was only able shake her head, and he could sense that doing this again so quickly would force her to resist him. Her other selves would rally to her defense and then she would be injured and unable to heal in her panic. With a resigned sigh he released her. “Go home with Seras, I have to stay on our behalf.” Lina jumped away from him in as respectful a way as she could, seeing her skin held in his fingers like a bloody handkerchief. Lina stood there for a moment, confused about what to do before she just walked out the door. Seras had been waiting against the wall across from the room. As she looked in Alucard smirked at her, opening his mouth and taking a bite from the flesh, Seras blanching and chasing off after Lina. Her skin was a bit tough from the scarring but as he ate the flesh it did ease the ache in his stomach. He would get the wolf’s claim off her. No matter how many times it took. 

As he chewed, he noticed something hard, using his tongue to push it out of the chunk he was snacking on. He examined it, confused as he stared at the scale. Shrugging he tossed it aside as he ate her skin like beef jerky. He walked back towards the meeting room, letting the blood stain his hands and face. No sense in letting them off easy. He was a monster, let them remember that his bride-to-be wasn’t the dangerous one. The room fell silent as he re-entered, slurping the last pieces of flesh as he took his seat again, his tongue chasing the blood down his fingers to his wrist. Eyes were transfixed on the gruesome sight. Finishing with his snack he withdrew his tongue, forcing himself into their minds and reading their fear. 

“Miss Khayam won’t be returning for the rest of the meetings. But she has informed me of her demands. Money is not going to cover the pound of flesh she is owed. She wanted that wolf’s heart in her hands to be crushed, and instead you’ve...dispatched him out of earthly justice.” 

“What was that you were just eating?” A young priest asked before he could stop himself, the room fell silent in fear that such a question would set the predator off. Alucard smiled inhumanly wide, his cheshire like grin filled with shark like teeth, eyes glinting darkly with promise. 

“My future wife’s skin.” Even Integra flinched in disgust at the idea he had actually...Lina was supposed to come back and apologize before being dismissed...had he? “Like I said...a pound of flesh is owed. Now...how do you plan to pay it?”

\------

January 13th...Dracula's town home...3pm

Lina was standing before the front door of the home she was returning to. She had decided to go back to Los Angeles after that last incident with Alucard. She had felt kind of shitty about it but...well she had been terrified. She had asked Seras to take her back home, packed a bag, and asked Seras to drive her to the airport. It had taken some arguing with the ticket counter but eventually she had gotten them to accept the travel insurance she had and transfer her to another flight to get home. Seeing her family had been long overdue. She hadn’t realized how much she missed them and how close knit her family was till she had been isolated from them and rejoined. Her little cousins had grown so much, her grandma had more wrinkles on her face, and without her at home her mom and dad had started fighting more intensely. She needed to talk with Alucard. She needed to go home more often. She wasn’t meant to live alone. Phone calls just weren’t good enough. 

Taking a steadying breath she knew she was in for a fight with Alucard, she had left without warning, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he was livid with her. As she gathered her wits and tried to calm her mind from the thousand thoughts racing through it her hand shook as she reached up to put her key in. 

“I’m not mad. So you can stop being so frightened.” She jumped in surprise, letting out a small shriek as she turned to face Alucard. He was sitting on a bench in the garden, comically holding up her parasol she had bought at a second hand store, a Chinese dragon painted on the paper that was attached to the wooden frame. He was wearing just his white undershirt and black trousers, his hair disheveled and he looked tired, like he hadn’t slept. She stared at him, unable to look away. He held up a hand and motioned her to join him. “I figured you would run away. I’m a monster. I literally ripped your flesh off to eat it. Not to mention how emotionally distraught you were.” He watched her sit, his red eyes not glowing, more a slight shine to them in the light. She was tense, fidgeting in her green long sleeve sweater and thick bluejeans. He sighed and reached out to gently pull her closer, able to feel her nervous energy. “Seras told me while it was happening. You were muttering quietly for human hearing, not a vampire.” Lina felt him pull her to him, and with a shuddering breathe she slumped into his side curling into him and nuzzling his neck, waves of relief that he wasn’t mad flooding her system. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you...or call you. I just...I needed to see them.” He rubbed his fingers lazily on her back as she confessed her guilt to him, “I was worried you wouldn’t let me.”

“Setareh’s memories of being cut off from her family and her life and culture are not the same worries you need to have. I have more knowledge now than I did then, much more power, and no desire to make the same mistakes twice. A loyal wife is a good possession for a king. If the trade off is frequent visits home so be it. You came back even when you were thinking I would be furious, and I needed some time to finish up the negotiations. It all worked out well.” He was rubbing her neck and a small smile touched his lips. “How is your arm?”

“I don’t want you to rip my skin off again. I really like this sweater.” She mumbled into the crook of his neck and shoulder as she curled closer to him, chilled by his skin but her heart feeling warmer. 

“It’s just till that bite mark is gone. But I won’t do it today.” He adjusted his arm to create more shade for the pair of them as the sun was shining in the sky. It was a cloudless day and the blue sky was a calm background to their garden scene. “I hate daylight. It’s painfully bright, and it makes it impossible to see the stars.” He closed his eyes as he relaxed more into the bench. 

“We can go inside if you want.” She clung to him as she looked out over the yard, thinking about what she wanted to plant when it warmed up. She waited a few minutes for his answer but it never came, and as she looked up at him she saw he had drifted off to sleep, and she slowly removed herself from him. His eyes opened once more as she pulled her heat away, only to relinquish his hold on the parasol as she took it from him, sliding herself to the edge of the bench. He allowed her to move his head into her lap, relaxing as her fingers absently played with his hair while she shaded them both. “Thank you for understanding.” 

“Hm.” Was all he answered as he drifted off to sleep in her lap, his long legs dangling off the edges of the bench, resting in the light layer of snow. One arm wrapped around her waist and the other tossed over his chest, a final false breathe before his features were deathly still. Lina sat there as his pillow, accepting the mild punishment. Doing her best to not jostle him as her muscles adjusted over the hours between her return home and dusk when Alucard opened his eyes, the rubies now their usual hellish glow. He reached up and patted her head lightly like a dog but she gently brushed his hand off, miffed with the gesture. 

“Did you get the engagement ring you wanted from your family?” His voice was more playful now that he had rested. The roll of her eyes and her pout answered his question. “You didn’t ask.” The side eye she gave him was amusing, his hand staying to play in her hair as her hands had played with his own during his repose. 

“They want to meet you first.” Suddenly the week long hunt Alucard had been on trying to track down a vampire feeding ring disguised as blood donation trucks seemed less tedious. She looked a bit sheepish as she looked away, trying to figure out how to voice her thoughts. “I told them I would have to ask since…”

“You invited them to stay with us, didn't you?” 

“Well of course, we have more than enough room, and I’m not making them pay to stay in a hotel. I’ll make sure to move a freezer for your food to the basement and abstain from cooking garlic while they are visiting. And it wouldn’t be till summer anyway.” 

“Where we will have to go out all day to take them to tourist spots…” 

“No, I can do that, you work night shifts, so you have an excuse to sleep in while they are visiting.” Her eyes dropped down and her cheeks turned pink. She was giving him a reason to avoid spending extended time with her family. 

“How old did you say I was?” Her blush deepened and she looked down at her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. “Lina.” His voice sounded serious but he was snickering to himself. It had been boring without the mundane drama of human life she refreshingly shoved in his existence.

“Well...um...I kinda f-ed up the whole thing...so...I got mixed up while talking about you to my family...long story short they think the Count is your dad...you’re 24, and Seras is your little sister.” 

“Let me guess, younger me is the junior to my father because I’m named after him?” He watched her lips purse in annoyance that he could read her so easily. Lina stood, stretching her legs from hours of inactivity and to escape her embarrassment. “Does that mean I have to dress like your friends?” 

“Not unless you want to...they think you’re ex-military doing police work, since I figured that would explain your weird hours.” 

“And my father? Does he live with us?” 

“No...I said we live in your family house but it’s just us. They think your dad is off in Romania with other relatives.” 

“Then why is this a problem?”

“Because if our stories don’t match I am going to look stupid like I don’t know you or like we’re lying.” They were, absolutely, but not the point. She walked towards the door, opening it up while closing the parasol, eager to get inside the house and relax, moving to pick up her suitcase. Alucard let her carry her own bags in, simply locking the door behind them. 

“Do you want to know about what happened after you left the conference?” He watched her shoulders tense, and he felt a little bad for bringing it up. The smile and relaxation she had felt melted away as her shoulders slumped as if she had just been dealt a physical blow. “We can’t run from what happened to you. You didn’t break from it, it doesn’t make you less valuable to me, it shouldn’t make you fe-” 

“Vlad...I don’t care about being virginal for you...if you only wanted me for being a virgin then this wouldn’t work anyway. I’m not crushed, I’m not wallowing in sorrow. I’m livid. I’m furious, and I’m devastated. He got what he wanted, he claimed me like property. I fought as hard as I could and still...it wasn’t enough. I can’t even get even because he’s dead. I can’t take my power back from him. I just have to live with this defeat. It’ll never matter how much I improve, how much I do, this is an albatross around my neck, and I can’t even share it with my family. I talked to a therapist and they told me to forgive him and move on but they don’t understand...I can’t. How can I forgive him? I’m so angry and yet all this rage is useless because he’s dead and nothing will let me get back at him.” Every muscle was tense in her body, shaking with her building emotions, and yet, there was no where for it to go. Alucard wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her head as he tried to give her support. 

“I know...slaughter millions, topple empires, build kingdoms, and yet it’s never going to satisfy that need for retribution. That need for vindication and validation by overcoming the person that wronged you. People like you and me...we can’t smile and move on with a supportive hand and love like that little girl you’re friends with. People like her, good to their core, they forgive and move on. She was more scared of that ghost than her own memories.” His voice was deep and soothing in her ears. His own anger a companion flame to the hatred kindled in her heart. But he was right, they were not good people like Samantha, she would forgive and grow into a good person. Lina didn’t want to forgive, she wanted to win. She wanted to drag Sean back from the depths of the afterlife. Inflict on him pain and misery till she could finally feel that he had repaid her. The image of Vlad torturing him in a similar fashion to the priest...it eased some of her rage, affection building for his display of empathy for her.

“If you want to donate some energy...I’ll try and let you get him off me tomorrow.” Lina leaned back into him, kissing his jawline. He peered in her mind, seeing her visualizing him exacting her revenge for her. She truly could be vicious, and he would be lying if he wasn’t a bit titillated by the idea of destroying the wolf. Leaving her bag in the hallway he picked her up, stepping through his shadows till they were up in his bedroom. “Don’t suppose I could take a shower first?” She mumbled into his throat as she felt him settle her back on the ground. 

“How about a bath with me?” He purred darkly in her ear, his own hellish intentions coming to mind. She rolled her eyes and nuzzled his neck instead. 

“Not yet hun. Not yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. I am so grateful for all my readers and hope you enjoyed your time. I am so happy to have shared this with you.


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